Ripped Apart
by Purple Duskywing
Summary: A terrible accident leaves Vidia scarred, humiliated, depressed and without an identity. Her wings are gone forever. What good is a fast-flyer who can't fly? A dramatic story with the tiniest hint of romance for all the Vidia fans out there!
1. The Attack

**Hello, people of the earth! This is the very first story I have ever shared with anyone. (shudders nervously) I have gotten an "F" in every English and Creative Writing class in my life, so cut me some slack if it's terrible. However, I am enjoying working on this project. Even if 1 reader likes it, I'll be happy! So, here you are: my first fanfic! All about Vidia, my favorite Disney Fairy.**

Chapter One: The Attack

Surely nothing was as glorious as flying! The weightlessness, the rush of wind across your skin, the excitement; the feeling of freedom it gave her was indescribable.

She was at top speed with wings a blur and pixie dust trailing in her wake. She was full of adrenaline, heart pumping with glee. Beads of sweat had gathered on her face. Every muscle was focused as she twisted and turned through the branches. The close-grown trees created challenges when it came to steering.

Who cared about the other talents? Sure, Tinkerbell and the others seemed happy enough with what they had, but how often had they looked up and caught a glimpse of her incredible speed? She knew they were envious after watching her rush past. No other fairy in Pixie Hollow could catch up. Even the other fast-flyers were too slow!

Vidia had finished her chore of scattering seeds in a flower field. Now she had the rest of the morning all to herself. There was nothing she enjoyed more than a fast-paced flight across a challenging course. This wood was full of animal-talents; she spotted Fawn playing with some young squirrels on a branch—but only briefly since she was going too fast to care!

She ignored the yelps of surprise. A few shouts of, "Hey, watch it!" barely registered. A whole team of fairies scattered in a cloud of dust as she barrelled through.

Vidia glanced over her shoulder and smirked at their annoyed faces. What fun! Ignoring the angry shouts, she zipped back into the branches; time to practice her maneuvering skills. It was tough; some gaps were barely big enough to fly through. Vidia was also tall for a fairy, but she only viewed this as another challenge for twisting through these branches. She had gotten so good at this exercise that she emerged in the canopy completely unscathed.

"Yes!" she congratulated herself. "Not a scratch! Oh, if only someone were around to see that!"

Vidia tidied her long, tangled ponytail and smoothed the feathers of her skirt. It was a habit done after a reckless flight. There was really no point to it right now, since she was too thrilled to stop flying. Maybe she would try a free-fall…

Normally her face was in a scowl, but at this moment, it lit up in sheer joy. She flexed her wings and climbed even higher. This area wouldn't do. Free-falls were dangerous and tricky enough without twisted branches in the way.

She sped through the canopy, past other fairies at work. Some were tinkers, loading up breakable pinecones onto pulley systems to be lowered down. Other animal talents could be seen, chatting happily or shooing off any squirrels trying to disrupt the morning chores. Vidia smirked her familiar smirk and shook her head. How boring the other talents were! Hardly any excitement seemed to happen.

She found a nice open space for her free-fall. The forest floor was at least a hundred feet down! Vidia took a deep, long breath, somersaulted in mid-air, and careened head first in a dive! She pulled in her wings so they lay motionless against her body. Her hands were clenched in excitement. Her heart pounded almost painfully. She was falling so fast that the wind became a whistle. The leaf-strewn forest floor grew closer…closer…at the last second, she created a huge gust of wind that swept her up a few feet. She performed an elegant twirl to break the fall. Pixie dust swirled to gather on her outstretched wings. This was exhilarating! Nothing was more joyous then being a fast-flying fairy.

All the adrenaline had left Vidia a bit drained, so she fluttered down to an old log to rest and catch her breath. She smoothed her hair vainly and sat down. Overhead the tinkers were still lowering bushels of nuts and pinecones. What could they be using them for, anyway? She chuckled. "Tinkers...what a life!"

"Miss Vidia! Miss Vidia!" a voice called down. "Are you hurt at all, lass?"

A scrawny tinker dressed in leafy green clothes and dew drop spectacles, dropped down and came running over. A larger tinker landed with a 'THUD' not far behind.

_Clank and Bobble. Ugh! _Vidia thought to herself. Could these two be any more annoying? She stood, ready to take off.

"Wait, Miss Vidia! We saw you fall!"

"Yeah! Did you, you know, hit your head where you hit the ground?" Clank scratched his ear, wondering how the fast-flyer was unharmed.

"For your information, I fell on purpose!"

"What'd you wanna do that for?" Clank puzzled. "Falling sounds like an awfully scary business!"

"That's why I do it, Clank. For the thrill of it! It's no trouble if you know what you're doing."

Bobble rumpled his naturally messy red hair. "Well, it still sounds risky, Miss Vidia. Please be careful."

"Did you two not hear me? I said I know what I'm doing!" She flew off in a huff. Couldn't they mind their own business? Now her wonderful mood was spoiled.

She made another practice of aerial twists and turns in the higher branches. Leaves rustled or broke from the trees entirely as she passed. A large spider web nearly stopped her, but she flattened her wings and shot through it easily. The spider didn't even notice. To lighten her mood, she flipped, somersaulted, and spun gracefully like a dancer. The ground went farther and farther away, until finally Vidia broke out into open sky. Sunshine beat down to make her wings glitter beautifully.

Her smile lit up once again. A happy laugh almost escaped her—Vidia wasn't one to laugh very often. It was a rare moment. The only time she laughed was in solitude; high up above Pixie Hollow, no one could bother her. She could enjoy doing what she loved most: flying fast and furiously, being the very best at her talent. It was something to be proud of.

A few lookout towers were spotted in the highest pines. Fairies were always posted up here to watch for hawks and other birds of prey. Not a single bird was in sight, though. Vidia took some time to swoop around gleefully before making a dive back into the canopy. Open air really worked wonders; the nuisances Clank and Bobble were forgotten.

"Morning, Vidia!" a new voice called out.

Vidia stopped mid-flight and made an exasperated face. _What now?_

It was Fawn, waving from the nearby branch. "C'mon down! I want to show you something! It's amazing!"

_It had better be amazing if it has to drag me out of the sky. _Vidia may be friends with Fawn, Tinkerbell and the others, but today was one of those days when all she wanted was some time alone!

"Quietly! Don't make a sound." Fawn urged.

"Why not?"

"Shh! C'mere…" the animal fairy crouched slightly and tiptoed along the branch towards the trunk. "It happened early today, I bet. Yesterday I was checking up on them, and knew it wouldn't be long."

"Long until what? I have important things to do!"

"Shh! You'll scare them!"

Nestled near the trunk was a bird's nest. Fawn was always chipper and happy when it came to the animals, but this time seemed more cautious. She took Vidia's wrist and gently led her to the nest's brim. Peeking down, the fairies saw four newborn birds. Tiny, helpless, wrinkled and featherless; their eyes were still shut. They moved their heads about blindly in search of their mother. A pathetic 'peep' emitted from someone every other second. "Have you ever seen anything so precious? Springtime is the best time of year—the baby animals always need a bit of help from us. Saffron—she's the mother—has been letting me take care of the eggs. She went to go gather some worms for the babies and I can sit with them! How incredible is this?!"

"Sweetheart, don't take this the wrong way, but all baby birds look the same." Vidia crossed her arms.

"But Vidia, you've got to admit—"

"Sure, I'll admit they're cute. But if you don't mind, I've got to be flying. Animals are _your_ thing, sweetheart. Not mine."

Fawn was a little hurt. A pained look crept upon her face as Vidia dived off the tree.

"Honestly!" she mumbled to herself. "Maybe I should just head out to a meadow! How can I have any fun if everyone keeps pestering me?"

In a quest for solitude, she sped off into a more remote area of the woods. The trees were thicker and leafier. A good deal more shade was cast; not as inviting as the glades, so not as many fairies were found. Only a pair of light talents was here, trying to pull a few beams of sunshine down into the shadows. They wouldn't bother Vidia.

A tall, slender tree caught her attention. This looked like fun! She flew down to its base. How fast could she spiral all the way up to the sky? Only one way to find out…fourteen seconds later, she exploded through the canopy back into open air! She was dizzy from circling the trunk, but so happy! This time she allowed herself to laugh with sheer joy.

That was when it happened.

She didn't even see it coming. Didn't even register the lookouts' warnings; they came too late.

A shadow enveloped her. She felt scaly talons close around her body; that was when her laughter became a scream. The world only existed as a plume of feathers, sharp clams and her own beating heart. No sounds existed except for its shriek of triumph. Its golden eyes pierced into her terrified mind.

Vidia had never experienced true terror. When Tinkerbell first arrived, their mishap with another hawk had been nothing compared to this. She struggled against her captor's grip. The talons were like knives, cutting and ripping into her. Every tear seemed to rip down to the bone. She kept squirming.

"No! I can't go like this!" she screamed in pain.

The hawk gave another screech, saying otherwise. He beat his silent wings and began carrying her away. But his prey partly pulled out of his claws. She almost escaped.

Vidia felt her torso being snatched viciously. For a moment, she was held in its beak and forced to stare into those petrifying eyes. This was it…she breathed into the pain and waited for it all to end…

Her face was pale with fear. She didn't realize she was drenched in her own blood…

The hawk used his talons to tear into her again. Oh, the agony was too much! She felt white-hot stinging pain all through her torso, on her arms and face! Warm blood soaked into her clothes. Why didn't the hawk just kill her quickly and get it over with? She went limp with exhaustion. One arm dangled down from the hawk's talons. Drops of blood flowed down and dripped softly into the woods below. She felt faint and began drifting off…

The hawk then jerked strangely. It did it again with a squawk of surprise. Something was attacking it! Showers of stones and pebbles were pelting it from all angles. A few good shots hit it straight in the face. The hawk was confused; too many lookout fairies were bombarding him! They shouted bravely in his ears. Everyone was armed with a slingshot.

"Aim for the face!" someone ordered. "Don't hit Vidia, whatever you do!"

The hawk took a few hits to the eye. It was enough to release his grip on the semi-conscious fairy. He then flew off in annoyance; there was easier prey to hunt elsewhere.

Vidia was aware of falling. She fell into the canopy, barely awake, where the branches became another saviour. She stumbled sorely into a large crease in the wood and lay still.

It was over.

The lookouts were still shouting after the hawk to drive him off; a few called her name, having not seen her fall.

The tumble knocked some sense into her. Breathing hard, she pushed herself ever so slowly to her hands and knees. She raised a heavy head to look into the shaft of light through which she had fallen, up to where it had all happened.

Vidia had yet to realize that up there in the glorious sunshine, her life had changed in an instant.

**Well, this is it. My new status as 'author' begins now! Sorry about all the bloody scenes. That's what the T rating is for. **


	2. Aftermath

**Wow, I have reviews! Wasn't expecting that. Thank you! I wanted to make the first chapter very much from Vidia's point of view, how flying makes her happy. Now it's all been taken away...here's the next part.**

Chapter 2: Aftermath

No one had seen the fall. They were focusing on the danger at present.

It had happened so fast.

Vidia stayed on her hands and knees, too shocked to speak, cry for help, or make sense of it all. Voices of the lookout fairies called out for her—she must have fallen quite a ways into the trees. She was wide-eyed and shivering in fear. She had been attacked by a hawk; that much she knew. Pain pulsed through her entire body but her voice didn't seem to be working. No screams came out.

She sat back on her heels to examine the wounds. There wasn't much time—she could tell she was going to faint.

With horror, she realized was she was squatting in a pool of her own blood. Gashes ran along each arm and along her face. Her hair had come undone and was stained red. The legs seemed in better shape—only a few cuts. But her torso was so mangled…every inch of her back and shoulders were ripped apart. Many slashes ran all the way around onto her abdomen, bleeding freely. The worst were three huge gashes across her back. She couldn't see them, but they ran very deep, drenching her.

Vidia acted fast. There was so much blood…she was fainting quickly. Her clothes had been very torn up. She pulled her feather skirt apart and used them to cover herself. The worst of it she bound as tightly as she could, given the lack the strength. It was too painful to bear! She gave a weak cry and collapsed. This couldn't be happening…

The woods went black.

News of a hawk attack was never welcome in Pixie Hollow. They killed several fairies a year. Queen Clarion had attended every one of the memorial services personally, for every fairy in Neverland was dear to her; never before had there been a survivor.

The lookouts had found Vidia's mangled figure in the branches. Bloody, ragged and literally ripped apart. But she was alive. They had wrapped up the wounds with leaves and used a scrap of bark as a stretcher. The fast-flyer had been brought to the hospital in no time at all.

Word spread to all ears.

Among the first to know were Fawn and Tinkerbell. They arrived at the hospital's waiting area not long after Vidia's admittance. Other patients who were waiting outside to get in included a fellow who glowed with excess sunlight (not an emergency) and two others who were hopelessly tangled in sticky spider webs (also not an emergency).

"Tink, this is a nightmare!" Fawn gasped as they flew down. "It must've happened right after I met her in the woods!"

Tink rang the buzzing beetle to call the receptionist. "Calm down, calm down. I'm sure Vidia's all right—she's a tough fairy…" but even brave Tinkerbell was scared.

The spectacled receptionist drew back the leaf to see them. "Hello, dears. Patient's name?"

"Vidia." Fawn and Tink chorused.

"Oh, my. The poor thing is in Room 12 being sewn up." The receptionist lowered her voice. "She's lost a lot of blood. I don't know how bad the damage is, I'm afraid."

"Can we see her?" Tink begged.

"Not yet. Wait here and I'll check in on the healers."

The two friends stumbled in shock over to the waiting area. It was outside, amongst the shady grass with some flowers. The hospital itself was an entire tree. The rooms could be found down around the roots. Medics, nurses and doctors in uniform fluttered from room to room, tending to all the patients. However, more seemed to be heading up to the higher rooms—one in particular—with anxious faces.

The receptionist returned a minute later. Her face was very white. "The patient won't be receiving visitors—"

"Until when?!" Tink interrupted. "We _have _to go in and see her!"

"You can see her when the doctors have finished tending to her. Not for several hours, at least. There's been…a lot of damage."

"How much?! What happened to Vidia?"

But the receptionist would tell them no more.

Silvermist, Rosetta, and Iridessa arrived. At first they didn't notice the others and approached the desk, but Tink stopped them. "It's no good, you guys. We can't get in for a few hours."

Dess clasped her hands. "Fawn, you were in the woods this morning; did you see what happened? Were you there?"

"No; just heard about it after the lookouts found her. If they hadn't been there…I can't imagine! They used slingshots on the hawk to scare him off. He dropped her into the branches then. That's all I know."

The group was too worried to say much more. The day had started out so wonderfully. Just doing chores or playing out in the meadows or down by the river. Sil had finally perfected a trick involving a fish inside a hovering orb of water. Rosetta had begun plans for a new flower garden by her house. Dess's morning had been very busy up in the clouds with the other light fairies; it was hard aiming just the right amount of sunshine into a newly seeded field. Dess gave a shudder—that field had been the one Vidia helped sow earlier.

Tinkerbell tried to offer a bit of comfort to everyone. "C'mon. Let's find some get-well gifts for her. She'll enjoy them, I'm sure of it. We can come back later."

They all agreed with a silent nod. None of them had expected such a horrifying event to end the morning. Vidia was always so sarcastic, short-tempered and rude; always going on about how rare fast-flyers were or bragging about her own speed. Despite these things, they had all come to love her.

An entire day passed before Vidia woke up.

The first thing she saw was a large leafy curtain across the entrance to the room. A privacy screen that she didn't understand the reason for. Why was it there? It took another minute to realize where she was: the hospital? Why was she here, of all places?

Sunlight penetrated through a slight gap in the curtain. It lit up the room pleasantly. Without moving, Vidia looked around at some shelves full of medical instruments, rolls of ribbon bandages, bottles of colorful liquids, and a huge magnifying glass. On the wall were some coat hooks. A basket of blankets was on the floor. She twisted her head to see some nature paintings on the other wall—done by some art talents, no doubt. This was when she realized she was laying on her stomach. She moved a hand to grip the edge of the bed, which was fashioned out of a seashell. The movement made her head spin and she lay down again.

"Miss Vidia?" an accented voice whispered.

To her surprise, Bobble poked his head in. His glasses magnified his eyes alarmingly; it was easy to see the extreme worry in them.

Carefully, Vidia twisted around on her back. Pain coursed through her torso like stinging fire. She gasped in surprise. Everything about the attack came rushing back. She remembered it all.

"How are you?" Bobble asked.

"Ugh…it hurts…what happened?"

He walked in and told her about the previous day. How all of Pixie Hollow was scared for her and trying to visit, and how the doctors had saved her and stitched up all the torn skin. Some parts of her back had had exposed bone. As Bobble talked, Vidia managed to sit up and examine herself. The soft flower petal blanket was not very comforting right now.

In place of her clothes, there were leaf and ribbon bandages covering her. A few were on each arm. Her torso was the worst of it, though. She felt lots of padding underneath it all. Things must be very shredded up; the pain she was becoming more aware of. The fire spread more to her back, now. It seeped deep down, into her spine and shoulders. It was almost embarrassing, wearing nothing but bandages. She hastily tried to cover up more with her hair. Someone had left it unbound, having washed it clean so that not a trace of blood remained.

"…Now, lass…" Bobble was finishing. "You must not be scared."

"The hawk is gone, now, Bobble. I just need some rest and time to heal up." Vidia tried to lie back, but sat up again upon learning this caused too much discomfort. She gritted her teeth. "I won't be flying above the forest anytime soon; what a stupid idea! I should have thought of hawks."

"Well…there's a wee bit of a problem now, Miss Vidia," Bobble spoke softly; almost inaudibly. He was wringing his hands and his over-sized eyes were sad. "Haven't you realized?"

Vidia stared at him with a frown.

He managed to stammer the words. "Your back…when the hawk…erm…"

Realization came. Ice cold fear polluted Vidia's veins. She shook in terror. Her grey eyes closed to try and stay calm…with one hand, she reached behind her. Hopes and prayers zoomed through her head. What Phineas T. Kettletree was suggesting couldn't be true. It just couldn't! She was a _fast-flyer…_

Her hand felt the wrappings of bandages. Nothing more. The hawk's talons had taken her precious wings.

**chapter 3 in progress...**


	3. Self-Conscious

**Wow, this is so exciting. I never expected anyone to enjoy this! My self-confidence in writing is starting to build. I may have hinted at a Vidia/Bobble pairing, because I thought they would make an interesting couple. But I've decided to keep the romance stuff extremely subtle. This story is supposed to be sad!**

Chapter Three: Self-Conscious

Even after a week of confinement, the truth did not sink in.

Once Bobble had left, the healers decided not to allow visitors for the sake of Vidia's injuries. The severe blood loss left her completely exhausted. The nurses also kept feeding her an herbal brew for the pain, which also made her sleepy. Every time she awakened, she would reach behind her, expecting to feel something, anything! This_ must_ be a horrible nightmare; any minute she would wake up in her own bed, with strong wings firmly attached. But as the days stretched on, she began losing hope.

The bandages were changed often; each time the nurse stripped off the leaves, Vidia cringed and held back tears. It was pure torture, but the nurse tried to be comforting. As the wounds and hundreds of stitches were cleaned and checked over, Vidia kept her eyes shut tight. If the hawk's handiwork looked as bad as it felt, she preferred not to see it.

Visitors were being turned away. However, this didn't stop the constant flow of gifts. Across the (now cluttered) room were various things from those close to her. Pretty decorations of woven spider silk, toys built by tinkers to keep boredom away, a fresh raspberry to eat, and an abundance of colorful feathers. Normally Vidia adored feathers—but at the moment, they only reminded her of birds. Not the best things to be thinking of right now. A strange puzzle box had been sent by Tinkerbell, and Silvermist had had a seashell sculpture delivered. As a surprise, a jar of iced candies arrived via owl from Periwinkle, all the way from the Winter Woods. For a fairy to go to so much trouble just to mail a get-well present…Peri really was Tink's sister.

The gift Vidia appreciated most was a set of new clothes from a fellow fast-flyer: a pair of violet-petal pants and a loose-fitting shirt with sleeves. They left room for the bandages as well as covered them from prying eyes. There was also a long purple feather for putting her hair back into its old ponytail.

With an entire week of resting, her wounds had been healing well. Today was hopefully the last hospital day. She expected the head healer to arrive soon to check up on her, like he did every morning. So she dressed in the new clothes, getting ready to leave at a moment's notice. There were no mirrors in here, but for that she was relieved. She still wasn't ready to look at her mutilated torso.

_This is humiliating…how can I face the others looking like this?_ She perched on the edge of the seashell bed; time to wait for the final checkup.

The lead curtain rustled, and Fawn's head poked through unexpectedly. "Hi," she said quietly. "The nurses let me in, finally."

Vidia shifted so that her back was out of sight.

"So, how have you been?" Fawn ventured in and sat down beside her.

"It still hurts, but I'm fine…if the checkup goes well, I can get out of here today."

"That's why I'm here, actually. Clank and Bobble are outside, too. We thought we'd help you down out of the tree."

Vidia frowned. "Help me down?!"

"Well, yes." Fawn insisted, not unkindly.

Of course. Room 12 was higher up in the tree's roots. The only way to get down was by flying. Who designed this hospital, anyway? The fact that Fawn, Clank and Bobble were here almost made it worse; they had been the last three to see her in one piece, wings and all.

"Hold on, how am I going to get up to my house?"

"We can do that too, Vidia. It'll just be us, and the others. Don't worry about running into anybody else."

Vidia sighed and buried her face in her hands. She wasn't sure if she wanted anyone to see her just yet; what would they all say?

The hospital released her shortly after with instructions to change the bandages once a day and keep an eye on the wounds to make sure nothing got infected.

"Return here every few days, so we can be sure you're healing properly," the head doctor had explained. "With rest, you'll have all the stitches out in about a fortnight."

Fawn stayed during the final checkup for support, but Vidia was very reluctant to show her the wounds. Upon seeing the best fast-flyer without a pair of wings, Fawn made the most sorrowful face and was barely able to hold back tears of pity. She held it together, though, and led Vidia outside.

It was a beautiful spring day in Pixie Hollow. Bright sunshine hit all the right places, insects buzzed or crawled merrily, and from this room, one could see all the way down the pathway that led from the hospital to the big maple tree. Wildflowers bloomed all along it, adding a perfect dash of color to the greenery. The trees overhead rustled lush and green, too. At the sight of a few birds going by, Vidia took an involuntary step back.

The roots making up her room plunged straight down in a sheer drop. There was no way to climb down whatsoever.

"Hello, Vidia," Clank waved while hovering in front of her. "Step right on over to the edge, now. Bobble and I have this brilliant idea to get'cha down!"

"That's right, Miss," said Bobble as cheerily as he could. The two of them grasped each other's' forearms, so as to make a chair of sorts. "Just have a seat and we'll lower you down ever so gently."

"Yeah. It's the smartest way since your accident—"

"Clank!" Bobble hissed.

They were extremely careful—one pair of arms went under her knees, the other across her back, where most of the stitches were. She held on to their shoulders, and with Fawn monitoring, she reached the ground easily enough.

With a moan, she realized she would have to pass through the hospital's waiting area…"Fawn, how many are sitting out there?"

"Only five or six. They won't look at you."

"They'd better not!"

"Miss Vidia, what if we just carried you home? It would save you the trouble."

"Oh, no, you're not. I'm_ walking_. I intend to preserve what dignity I've got left! There's a less-travelled route back to my plum tree. Let's go."

As Vidia marched determinedly past the waiting patients, she did her best to ignore the sorry looks they sent her way. Some of them whispered behind her back. At the last minute, she bolted behind a thick tuft of grass to hide. They had been staring at her lack of wings, she was sure! She crossed her arms and glared angrily. Who would've thought leaving the hospital would be so hard?

Fawn caught up. "Vidia, relax." She put a hand on her shoulder. "Tink and the others are up ahead on the path. We've all wanted to see you!"

"Not like this. I am missing my _wings_, for goodness' sake!"

"It's only us! No one else, I promise."

A few tries later, Fawn convinced Vidia to come out onto the open path. The wingless fairy protested with fury. But she wanted to get home with pride; hiding in the grass would accomplish nothing. Still, it was nerve-wracking having her friends see her in such a way. This had to be the worst thing that could happen to a fairy…

"Vidia!" "Are you okay?" "You're not still in pain, are you?" "Why did they start turning away visitors?" "We've all been so scared." "Queen Clarion was in tears when she heard the news." "Oh, sugar, I'm so sorry this happened." "Peri wants to see you at the border when you're up to it."

Questions and cries of both joy and pity blasted Vidia from all sides. Iridessa actually hugged her. This sent ripples of fire down her spine and she cried out in discomfort. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Dess backed off. "I forgot."

"Whoa, whoa! Everybody calm down! I'm alright."

"You most certainly are not, sugar," said Rosetta, in a matter-of-fact way. "For one thing, you are so patched up you can barely move, and another thing—"

"Ro! I don't need a lecture. I just want to go home. _Without_ a scene?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, honey. C'mon, then. We'll fly you back—"

"Walk, if you don't mind. I suppose I have to get used to it now." Vidia's voice faltered slightly. She began marching off down the path with her head held high. The others all became quiet; many of them with uncomfortable looks. They couldn't help but stare at the fast-flyer's empty back.

She herself felt the many sets of eyes boring into her. It was a terrible moment.

The sour plum tree where Vidia lived was quite the walk from the hospital. She chose to live apart from the few other fast-flyers. Solitude was more her style; there was more privacy, something she could use right about now. It was a bent, twisted old plum tree, full of knots, nooks and crannies. The dark green foliage offered plenty of shade, but let in just enough sunshine. The leaves almost hid her entire house from view. The only problem remaining was getting there.

"Please, lass, it's really not a bother for Clank and I—"

"For the last time, Bobble, no!" Vidia kept insisting.

Tinkerbell sped up to walk beside her. "Vidia, don't you think we should talk about this? I mean…so much has happened!"

Her face hidden from her friends, Vidia ignored the fiery pain throughout her torso. She never stopped walking. "Not now, Tink."

So the group went on. They all remained on solid ground out of politeness, respect, and to keep Vidia company. By surrounding her, she was more or less hidden from other passing fairies. Silvermist and Clank made small talk the entire way past the Pixie Dust Tree. Their carefree voices filled the awkward silence and in a way, it was soothing.

The Pixie Dust Tree rose grandly on the upcoming hill, but Vidia was leading down the quieter route through a daisy field. She couldn't help pausing to gaze at the Tree. Until now, it had been easy to take for granted. Glittering gold dust floated about like a fog, flowing off into waterfalls to gather in the trunk. A cup of dust was like a source of instant happiness for Vidia. Now she know it would be pointless to come here for her daily allotment.

"The day of the attack was my last time here…" she murmured to no one in particular.

Sil, Fawn and Tink all tried to put a soothing hand on her shoulder, but Vidia bit her lip and continued walking.

The journey through the daisy field took forever! Rosetta ended up flying ahead, just to be sure no garden fairies were at work nearby. She created distractions to keep them occupied, such as setting a sprinting thistle loose, and uprooting the newly planted seedlings who then wandered off of their own accord.

"There," Rosetta landed. "That should keep 'em busy."

Random garden fairies zoomed back and forth across the path, trying to control the rampage. They were far too busy to notice the group; much less notice one member was missing some wings.

At the other side of the field, the earth sloped downward into a hill. Now the crooked old sour plum tree was in sight. Other trees grew around it, slightly taller and shadier. This was a very unpopular place because of the dark shadows and overall atmosphere. Very little activity could be found. Most of it was back in the hectic daisy field, where the thistle was wreaking havoc. Nevertheless, Vidia was glad to be home in her own little glade. It was a welcome change from the hospital, where she had never even been allowed outdoors.

"Try to find a bright side," Silvermist pondered as the group trudged downhill beneath the long, wild grass. "When you're all better, you should be able to swim! No wings to drag you down! I bet lots of water fairies would love to swim. That's the downside with water and wings; they just don't mix well."

Tinkerbell warned, "Sil, she's not a water fairy!"

Sil gasped and realized her mistake. "Oops. Oh, dear…I was just trying to help."

Vidia groaned, exasperated. "No one is making this day any easier. I wish it would end already! And everyone quit staring at my back," she caught Dess, who had been standing behind her. "There's nothing to see."

They reached the edge of the rushing stream. Only three feet wide, but it was deep enough for a few small fish to travel by. Silvermist felt bad from her comment and chatted with the fish distractedly to take her mind off things.

"Too deep to wade across," observed Tink. "We'll have to carry her, weather she likes it or not. And don't protest, Vidia! There are no logs to cross over, and no stepping stones."

"Even if there were, we can't risk getting all those wounds wet," Fawn remembered. "Remember what the doctor said. Too much water may get them infected."

Clank and Bobble formed a chair with their arms once again. They looked at Vidia expectantly, not taking no for an answer.

"Fine." She relented. There was no other way.

Being in the air was no longer enjoyable. Sitting in the arms of others and being carried like a piece of luggage made her feel utterly useless! The weightlessness of flying was gone, there was no sense of freedom, no wind in her hair, no heart-pumping adrenaline, and it was so _slow! _She stared at the bubbling stream down below while being carried. Maybe this _was_ just a very long nightmare…oh, when would it end?

Apparently never. She felt Bobble's arm against her back, instead of brushing against a set of wings that should've been there.

Enough twists and turns were in the trunk of the sour plum tree to make an easy climb. But with the pain of moving about, Vidia didn't think climbing was a wise idea. "It's best to wait until I heal a little more. Just take me up to my house."

They did so. The girls all followed mutely, feeling guilty for flying up when she could never do so again.

Vidia's house was nestled snugly in the heart of the plum tree's branches. It was a large three room abode, built of flexible twigs and the dark green leaves of the tree itself. A huge porch surrounded the place, all constructed of twigs and black or violet flowers. Vidia loved to collect birds' feathers; dozens upon dozens decorated the outside and inside of her home. Gathered into bunches, they formed interesting bouquets. As everything seemed to be in darker hues of color, Vidia's house was not the most welcoming, but it certainly was unique.

"Wow. Where did you find all these?" asked Fawn, admiring the patterns on the largest feathers. "I don't recognize this pattern. Is it from a barn owl?"

"I don't know. I just find and collect them." Said Vidia as she was set down on the porch. Bobble held out a hand to help steady her. He looked hurt when she refused.

It was strange having other fairies here. She couldn't even remember the last time she had had anyone come to her house. Suddenly, they all began asking questions once again.

"How is your back?" "Was the walk too tiring?" "Do you need anything for the pain? The doctor gave me the recipe for that herbal brew—"

"Please! Everyone just leave!"

They all stopped talking.

"I just—it's been a long day and I'm very tired. I want to be alone right now."

No one seemed to want to leave her. But in the end, they dispersed. Rosetta needed to straighten up the craziness she caused in the daisy field, anyway. Last to leave was Tinkerbell. "Now, Fawn will be down at the base of your tree should you need anything."

"What?! Tink, I don't need a babysitter!"

"Yes, you do. For the time being, at least. She likes camping, and what if you need help with the bandages?"

"Ugh. Fine."

"We'll come back tomorrow, to see how you're holding up." Tink's expression saddened dramatically. "I'm…I'm so sorry."

Vidia didn't reply. She sighed and watched Tinkerbell fly off. The simple act of getting in and out of her own tree would be a struggle now.

She went inside and shut the door. Her familiar kitchen, living room and feather-filled bedroom were a welcome sight, but in a hurry, she dashed about and covered up all the reflective glass mirrors. She still couldn't bear to see it…but temptation got the better of her, and she stole a glimpse. Just a quick one.

That was the moment when the truth truly hit her hard.

Vidia sank down onto a kitchen chair, and finally cried.

**Next part may take a little longer, since I'm trying to draw a picture to go with the story. Stay tuned for more and thank you all again for helping with my confidence in writing!**


	4. Words of Wisdom

Chapter Four: Words of Wisdom

Queen Clarion sighed and leaned against her love. It was relaxing, sitting here on the bridge. She had one arm draped around his shoulder. The edges of his broken wing brushed her fingertips, reminding her of that fateful day long ago-and of the problem at hand.

Lord Milori was such a comfort. He held her free hand in a tender way. His simple, cool touch was more than enough.

The two rulers were sitting alone at the border. No attendants, no ministers; just them. He lounged in the winter wide, and she in the warm, leaning back into his arms. A few snowflakes from winter danced down into their embrace. This would have been a beautifully peaceful moment if not for the circumstances.

"I don't know what else to do, Milori," Clarion explained. "My best fast-flyer can fly no more; she has barely left her home in weeks. Her friends have done everything they can to console her. Never has a fairy been in more despair."

Milori countered, "Never, Clarion?"

Clarion twisted around to look at his face. "You see where I'm heading, then?"

"Yes, I see." He stroked her hair. "I know what she feels, though perhaps not as deeply."

"I never did ask you: what was it like, knowing you would never fly again?"

Milori thought about this; over on the warm side, a small flock of birds sailed by. "Like losing a limb, I suppose. Wings are easy to take for granted. Once they are taken away, getting from one place to another suddenly turns into a grand quest." He reminisced about the past for a moment. "It was devastating. And because of it, I lost you for a time, Clarion…after losing my wing I learned how to live again, though. There are always ways to overcome the obstacles."

"Will you speak with Vidia? Teach her how to live again?" Clarion grasped his chilly hands.

"Yes. I will try. A fast-flyer may be a challenge; I promise to do my best."

"Oh, thank you," she hugged him, glad that no attendants were around to pry. Being alone was a rare moment for a ruler. "She even turned me away, when I went to her myself."

"Even you?" His eyebrows rose.

"Even me. You have your work cut out for you. I'll bring her here in the morning. Hopefully all will go well."

"Will you come by afterwards?"

Clarion nodded. That was when Milori lovingly kissed her; a kiss full of comfort and reassurance. "Good," he said. "All the better. Try not to worry, so, my dear. Even when all seems lost, there is always something to live for. Vidia will heal in her own way. She just needs to find it."

At last every stitch existed no more. Vidia didn't have to worry about tearing anything and she was no longer in physical pain. Fawn had been an excellent nurse. She had checked in on Vidia several times a day and changed the bandages diligently. So far, she had been the only one allowed inside Vidia's house. She also called in her bird friends to carry Vidia to checkups at the hospital; it was the only time the fast-flyer ventured outside.

Now that Fawn was no longer needed as a nurse, she had returned to her own home with the other animal talents. In a way, this was good. It forced Vidia to fend for herself. The last few weeks had been spent resting, sleeping, eating when food was brought to her, and making tiny cyclones with one finger out of boredom.

She managed a weak smile. _At least I can still do _this. She thought, making the whirlwind move about the kitchen. The feather bouquets fluttered about. She blew them back into place when they flew onto the floor.

The practice did nothing to help her lack of wings.

A mirror hung on the kitchen wall. She was getting used to the wingless reflection looking back. The scars still bothered her, though. A long one cut down the side of her face, winding ones came onto her abdomen, a few were on each arm, and the three gargantuan slashes had left cruel marks on her back. In her old, familiar clothes, most of the scars were mercifully covered.

Leaving the plum tree was so grim! There were always fairies hanging around the stream who stared hard at her empty back. It made her want to run back inside!

The tinkers had modified the outside of the tree. Tinkerbell designed a winding staircase that twisted up the old trunk and led straight to the porch; simple, easy to use, and safe. Bobble and Clank, on the other hand, built an elevator using fishing reel, fish hooks, a teacup, and some of their own complicated pulley systems.

"No, Miss, Vidia, it's really no trouble at all," Bobble had said upon her protests. "With this beauty, you'll be able to come and go much quicker."

She gave in eventually, making Bobble quite happy.

On this morning, Vidia ventured out onto her porch feeling disheartened. The sunrise was perfect today. Colors of pink and gold mixed in with the clouds. Birdsong rang out all through the glade. The sun peeped golden over the horizon; she could just see it through her leafy plum tree. A pain spread across her whole body—on mornings like this, she would be creating gentle gusts of wind in the trees using her wings…a tear leaked out of one eye and she snuffled.

A songbird suddenly flew past and Vidia jumped back further than expected. Her heat beat a little faster. This had been happening a lot. _I'm not scared of birds, now, am I? I wasn't before…_

A sparkling flicker from below broke her thoughts. She peered over the railing and saw the golden wings of Queen Clarion, of all fairies! The Queen was flying up slowly with a cool face and folded hands. Four attendants in uniform accompanied her, but stayed back a respectful distance.

_Not again. I told her to go away, already! Why will no one listen? _Vidia tried to stay calm. Maybe she had been too rude to the Queen…she tended to do that.

Clarion landed in front of Vidia with a regal grace only she could perfect. She observed the fast-flyer with an odd expression: very sorrowful, but smiling in a motherly sort of way. She waved to the attendants who flew down and out of sight. Vidia was careful to keep her back facing away from them—some had stared far longer then was comfortable.

"Hello again, Vidia," said the Queen lightly.

"Why are you here again?" Vidia choked up. She was feeling too miserable to be her normal spiteful self. "I don't want to be seen like this!"

"My dear, you can't very well stay up here forever."

"Watch me." She crossed her arms, still unable to muster a scowl.

"Vidia," Clarion scolded calmly. "Come with me to the border. I know someone who will be able to help you. Dress warmly."

There was no telling what to expect.

Vidia had wondered if she would receive a scolding for being impolite to the Queen, and instead was flown by owl all the way to the border. Dressed in winter clothes, earmuffs and a purple scarf, she realized there would be no need to get her non-existent wings frosted.

Lord Milori stood waiting in the falling snow with his own owl, a white-feathered bird that looked around quizzically. "Ah, you're here."

Clarion approached the border, but did not cross. Vidia walked beside her with a sullen face. "Go and spend some time with Milori, my dear. It may be just what you need."

"But—"

"Consider it an order, Vidia. We believe it will do you good." Clarion's voice was gentle. She reached into winter and held Milori's hand briefly. "I'll see you at sunset?"

"As always." He kissed her cheek.

Vidia rolled her eyes. _Enough with the romance, you two._

"Now then," he turned to the fast-flyer. "Come with me."

She crossed over into the snow. The Queen waved them goodbye as they walked off before she herself flew away back into the warm seasons, attendants and all.

Winter was an extremely silent season compared to the others. There were not as may birds singing. The rivers and pools were frozen solid, never running. Falling snow was basically frozen rain, but absolutely soundless. Your breath came out in a cloud. The only sound heard was the crunching of snow under your boots. Owls were a notoriously quiet species; their soft feathers made for noiseless flight. Vidia had been cautious during the ride to get here, and now she found herself putting Milori between her and his own owl. She wasn't sure if she would ever trust birds again.

Milori noticed this wariness. "Do the birds frighten you, now?"

Vidia crossed her arms defiantly…but what was the point in hiding it? "Well…"

"It's understandable. I wish to help you heal completely. Losing one's wings is not easy—I know how it is. The path to recovery will be a long one. There will be new fears, newfound weaknesses, and self-consciousness. But there will also be new strengths which will take time to discover."

Vidia doubted it.

"So tell me: how have you been these last few weeks?" He was earnest as they walked through the Winter Woods. Black and white trees stretched high up with settled snow on each branch. A few frost fairies were up there playing. Their laughter did nothing to lighten the mood.

Vidia finally answered. "Everyone is trying to help, I guess." She told Milori about Tinkerbell's staircase, Bobble's elevator and Fawn's nursing skills. "…but no one will stop staring!"

"It will be like that for a while. My own experience was full of gapes and odd looks of pity. That's when I began wearing this," he flicked his owl feather cloak. "Now, even without it, no one notices my missing wing. Just give it some time. Others will learn not to notice."

"Wings were not a part of your talent, though."

"No. But you can still create wind, can you not?"

"Yes…"

"Then I encourage you to practice. Your talent is not gone."

They saw a frozen pond come into view, where winter fairies were having a skating party, a favorite pastime in this part of Pixie Hollow. A few warm fairies were there as well, with frosted wings for protection against the cold. Vidia spied Rosetta, Silvermist, Tink and Periwinkle among the group. They glided across the ice without a care.

Tired from walking, she climbed onto a snow-dusted rock and sat down. The skating pond was still a ways off. None of her friends had spotted her or the Lord of Winter, which was what she preferred at the moment. Milori's words were giving her much to think about.

"The walking takes some getting used to," Milori sat on the adjacent rock. "But you'll find yourself becoming stronger every day. Have you never noticed how fairies tend to fly more than they walk?"

Vidia perked her head up, listening.

"Think of it as a strength to build. As for getting around Pixie Hollow, walking or climbing will do the job. For those longer trips, birds are the best choices…take small steps," he advised upon Vidia's nervous look at the mention of 'birds.' "Start with something small and work your way up."

"A_ small_ bird? I hate riding birds, even before my wings were ripped off! I didn't enjoy them then, and certainly am not about to trust them now. How am I supposed to face them after what that hawk did to me?!"

Milori thought for a time. "Your friend Fawn may help. You said she was an animal fairy."

"…maybe…she's been a big help so far, I guess."

"Then ask her. It could be the first step on the road to healing."

It was reassuring, having someone to confess all these problems to. Vidia received words of encouragement and felt better knowing someone else knew what she was going through. She ended up talking long with Milori.

No one in the skating party was flying. The perfect social gathering where there was no need to worry about looking out of place. She hopped back down into the snow. "Thank you, sir," she said as respectfully as she could.

Milori nodded. He knew Vidia was not one for politeness and watched her scurry off down to the pond. He said to himself, "Well Clarion, I hope I am helping in some way. She is a tough fairy. I'm sure she'll come through."

"Vidia! You're out of your tree!" Periwinkle yelled as the wingless fairy came onto the ice. "Oh, I have so many questions! How have you been coping?"

A large group hug from her gang of friends wasn't what Vidia was prepared for. Their arms squeezed the breath out of her like a bear trap. It was almost nice.

The rest of the day was spent in the Winter Woods. Snowball fights and sledding kept her mind off her troubles for at least a while. Milori's words had given her a few ideas, but she would need Fawn's help with one. Without an animal fairy, who knew if it would even work?

Late in the afternoon, at the top of the hill, she paused. Everyone else was laughing, getting ready for another run down on the sleds. From this vantage point, the edge of the border was visible. The warm seasons could barely be made out. Green leaves and the golden sunshine of spring peeped through the falling snow. If one squinted, a few bees could be seen buzzing from flower to flower. The view reminded Vidia of what she planned to do.

A glimmer of hope was beginning to grow. Just a tiny glimmer, only a spark, really; but it was there all the same.

**I love Clarion/Milori and just had to write a scene for them. Hope you all liked the chapter! Next one coming up soon...**


	5. Catching a Hummingbird

**thank you everyone for the reviews! To reader 'i luv milarion': I do indeed have an idea for a Milori/Clarion story; glad you liked their scene in the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this one. Slightly happier, but still a bit sad near the end.**

Chapter Five: Catching a Hummingbird

"A _hummingbird?"_ Fawn repeated incredulously.

Vidia looked in from the entrance to the badger's den. Inside, Fawn was tending to a sleeping mother badger with three babies. Springtime kept her very busy with all the newborns.

"You want me to train a _hummingbird?"_

"Will you do it?" Vidia came further in. The den was a very private place to talk. Soft leaves and moss lined the walls and floor. A root grew over the entrance. Outside was the very edge of a wood; not the one where Vidia was attacked, but a bustling playground of acorn trees. Fairies flew around the branches happily; it had been difficult walking below them without looking up in despair.

Fawn hovered over the sleeping badger to detangle knots from her black and white fur. "It would be more along the lines of 'can' I do it…"

"Don't tell me it's not even possible!"

"No animal talent has ever bothered with hummingbirds, Vidia. Think about it: they're hard to handle, very hyperactive, and far too fast and unpredictable."

"Yes! It would be perfect for me! I'd be back in the air, at least."

"But hummingbirds are more like insects! They flit and buzz around like bees."

Vidia put her hands on her hips, getting frustrated. "Has anyone even_ tried_ to tame one?"

"Well, no, not really." Fawn fluttered to the badger's other side. The tangles were stubborn. There was no easy way to reach them without flying; she could almost feel the jealously emanating from Vidia as she flew around the den. "If one was caught, I could try. But who knows what would happen? They never sit still. Even when sleeping, they flinch! Why not choose another bird?"

"Please help me out, Fawn," Vidia's scowl lessened. "I've been stuck on the ground for weeks! Other birds are too big to deal with right now. Starting small would be better."

Fawn stopped combing and came over to the entrance of the den. She looked at the exposed scars on Vidia's face and arms. All she had been through would be traumatic for any fairy. It was impossible to imagine what a fast-flyer would feel. Being the very last one to see Vidia with wings made her want to help in any way possible. It had had a profound effect on her.

"We'd need a net."

"Will y'all tell me why we're doing this?" Rosetta asked as she and Iridessa dragged the bouquet along. "This is my best vase. If it breaks—"

"Nothing is going to break, Ro. I doubt a hummingbird can even knock it over," said Fawn as she led the party into the clearing.

The vase in question was actually a salt-shaker, found washed up on the beach. Ro had filled the holes with the richest, sweetest-smelling flowers she could find. She even gave the petals a spritz of perfume. It was sure to attract both bees and an abundance of hummingbirds.

Vidia walked a few feet ahead, so as not to see the others in flight. It was necessary in order to carry the awkward vase, she knew, but still painful to watch. The sight of her friends fluttering while she couldn't was a hard one. She called over her shoulder. "Tink and Sil are bringing the nets, aren't they?"

"Right, sugar!" Rosetta answered cheerily. "They should be here by now. Probably got all caught up in one 'o Tink's ideas; something 'bout 'launching' the nets, or whatnot."

"Great. We'll be waiting all day." Vidia crossed her arms in vexation.

The colorful bouquet was set up near a particularly bright garden. It stood close enough to the foliage for the fairies to see, yet not too close to allow any birds to see them. The tufts of orange flowers would make for good hiding spots. Plenty of butterflies were around, drinking nectar. And already hummingbirds were being drawn in, too. Great jewels they were, shimmering with green, blue and red feathers. Their eyes shone pitch black, but the birds' movements were too quick to take a closer look.

"We're here!" Silvermist yelled from up above. The butterflies scattered as she and Tinkerbell came down from the trees. "Look what we brought! These are great for catching things!"

Tink nodded. "I made them from spare parts in Tinker's Nook." She held up two hand-held bazooka-type cannons built from bamboo tubes, bobby pins and wire springs. "The nets are inside, ready to launch. Bobble and Clank wanted to come, but they're busy with another project. They wished us luck, though."

"It was fun testing these out on them," Silvermist struck a pose with her net-launcher. "So, how are we doing this?"

Fawn brought them all together under the orange flowers. "Simple. We just wait for a hummingbird, aim and fire. You'll have to be quick. The birds are like insects, remember!"

Iridessa was nervous. "Won't the nets hurt them?"

"Nah. It'll be fine," said Tink confidently. "Now, let's focus on catching a large one. Vidia, what color would you prefer? Green or blue?"

Vidia groaned. "One big enough to carry me will be fine." She snapped. Her height would pose a problem; bigger birds were the ideal choice. But she couldn't face an owl, like the one Lord Milori rode! Those huge talons brought back so many terrifying memories. The scars were now permanent reminders of how dangerous a large bird could be.

The friends got into place. Fawn and Vidia hid on the ground, under the grass to watch the vase. Sil and Tink perched up in the flowers, armed and ready. Dess and Ro were backups with extra nets, just in case something went wrong with the launchers. It only took a few minutes of silence until a hummingbird came to investigate Rosetta's vase.

Vidia gave the signal and the nets were let loose with a small '_Twang!_"

"Got one! C'mon!" Fawn ran out of the shadows.

Their quarry was a dull blue-tinged, speckled thing, all tangled up and flitting around madly. "Easy, easy. Calm down…" Fawn laid her hands on its head. "We won't hurt you…" The bird's wings were pinned to its sides by the net. It was a female bird, pecking at Fawn in defense. The fairy was persistent and patient, however. After several minutes of trying, the bird stopped twitching around. Instead it gazed with wonder at the surrounding fairies. Her breath remained fast-paced even at rest; they could all see its breast rising and falling with such speed that Vidia felt sure this was a strong little flyer.

"Sorry, Vidia. This one won't do," Fawn finished checking for injuries and evaluated the bird. "She's full grown, but way too small. You'd weigh her down."

Indeed, the captive was a full two heads shorter than Vidia. For once, she wished she wasn't so tall.

They detangled the bird and let her go. She was gone in a blink, just like a mosquito.

"Back to start, then. Oh, hold on just a moment, y'all," Rosetta pulled out her perfume bottle and spritzed the bouquet a few more times. "That outta lure in the big ones!" She put on some perfume, herself.

Next, the victim was a tiny, green juvenile. Barely up to a fairy's knee, the net-launchers had no trouble catching him. "No good. Sorry about the trouble." Fawn told him as he was released.

A third one was caught. A female streaked with natural brown feathers. "She seems like a healthy one!" Tink observed. "She's big enough to carry you, Vidia."

"Be that as it may, she's not strong enough. Look at these wings," Fawn pulled out a brown wing from the net. "Too narrow and too short. What we need is a big male bird."

Iridessa perked up. "Oh! That's perfect! The males have much brighter colors."

"Color is not important, Dess," Vidia yanked the net loose.

"Of course it is! What fun would it be if it wasn't colorful?!"

"Exactly, sugar." Said Ro. "You're gonna be flyin' 'round Pixie Hollow sooner than you think. May as well look good while doin' it."

Vidia tried to smile, but it came out very sad, instead. The thought of being in the air again was happy, but she couldn't help reaching behind to feel the emptiness of her back. Fawn noticed this and put a hand on her reassuringly. She whispered quietly, "It's OK. You'll fly again…let's catch the next one."

Another hummingbird was netted and let out a tiny squawk. It was a male, jewel-toned in purple feathers. This was a panicky one…nearly ten minutes had passed until he could be examined without anyone getting knocked over. The fact that he was in the fast-flyer's favorite color was a bonus, but his overall nature was unacceptable. The jitteriness was very overbearing.

Fawn couldn't control him. "Get down!" she shouted as the crazy bird escape on his own and zoomed off into the trees. Other passing fairies scattered in clouds of pixie dust. They shouted out in surprise.

"Whew! This is hard!" Silvermist wiped her forehead. "Can we break for lunch after the next one?"

"Good plan, Sil. I think the birds are catching on, anyway." Fawn had noticed the waits were lengthening after each capture. "Let's try once more and come back later."

This time, patience paid off. Both Tink's and Sil's net-launchers were needed to bring the next victim down. It was a huge beast, even for a hummingbird. Ro and Dess flew in to pin him down hurriedly.

"Wow. He's a beauty!" proclaimed Ro.

The bird was an emerald green male, with a crimson throat and breast. His wings flickered with strength. Each muscle in them twitched nervously, but Fawn was able to calm him easily enough. His black eyes looked at them all with interest.

"Not bad at all," she observed. "I think he'll do nicely. He's definitely not as panicky as the others. Make sure he can't get loose, everybody. No matter how relaxed, he'll make a break for it the first chance he gets! Vidia, come closer. You're the one he needs to get used to, after all."

Vidia approached the bird. This wasn't so bad; his head was at eye-level, and stroking it felt strange. The feathers were very, very smooth and streamlined, perfect for fast flight. She kept her body back a fair distance as she did this.

"Go in closer," Tink advised. She and the others kept a firm grip on the nets, lest their prize try to make a getaway.

Vidia took another step, avoiding the long beak. The bird's eerie black eyes followed her every move. "That's a little creepy," she murmured.

"Let's put him more at ease," said Fawn. "Try stroking just above his wings. I find it works well with other birds. Kind of like a shoulder message."

"We're massaging a _bird_?" Vidia raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I know what I'm doing! Trust me."

As they worked, the hummingbird became less tense. The friends actually saw his strong wing muscles relax and his eyes really weren't so eerie when he wasn't afraid. He was a remarkably beautiful specimen. The green feathers seemed to glitter just like real emeralds, and his scarlet throat was the perfect accent. A speckled darker green pattern of splotches ran down his tail and wings. Vidia went on stroking him, trying to picture him as a mount.

"OK. Let's fasten the rope to his feet," Fawn instructed. "If he's going to be Vidia's hummingbird, we've got to be careful and not lose him."

Towing the feathery insect through Pixie Hollow didn't quite go as planned. The fairies were being towed instead. The bird took to the air the second the nets were detangled. It took the entire group to keep him on course, with the exception of Vidia, who ran below until her legs felt like jelly.

"Guys! My tree is back this way!" she shouted. "Can't you keep him under control? I mean, there are five of you and one of him!"

The hummingbird swooped in wild circles and loop-de-loops. His wings beat too fast to even see. His whole body was a blur of bright green, only a mere streak of color passing through the meadow. The fairies held onto the rope and did their best to pull him in the proper direction. It was not easy.

Vidia watched with a rare, almost amused, smile. "At least he's strong…maybe this won't be so bad." She stretched out the aches in her legs and moved on, towards her own plum tree. Training the hummingbird further would take place there.

Vidia found a surprise upon reaching the tree. Bobble and Clank were up there, putting some finishing touches on a sphere-shaped pen of woven twigs. Purple feathers decorated the outside walls. The whole thing looked like a giant ball, secured snugly in the branches. Another elevator had been constructed—this time using a matchbox attached to the pulley system—in order to reach the sphere's door. The pen was about as big as a beach ball.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Vidia demanded from the ground. They shouldn't be building who-knows-what here in her home!

"Keep reinforcing those connectors, Clank," Bobble advised. "A wee bit more spider web should do the trick." He jumped off the branch and glided down to Vidia. With animated arms, he gestured up at the twig sphere. "Isn't it lovely, Miss Vidia? Clank and I got to work the minute Tinkerbell told us about the hummingbird quest. It's a pen for it, once one is caught, anyway. Those birds will take time to train, you know. Did you lasses manage to catch one?"

"Yes. It's up there," she pointed at the bird high above the treetops. By now, the other girls were screaming as he towed them along at top speed. "If you two plan on making additions to my house, will you ask me first? I don't need my space invaded!"

"Oh." Bobble's face fell. "Sorry, lass. But…the pen_ will_ come in handy, though. Don't you agree?"

"Well…yes, I suppose. But that doesn't mean you can come and go tinker-crazy anytime you want."

"Understood, Miss Vidia. Come up and see it! We made another elevator, too."

She climbed into the matchbox and released the catch. Weighted marbles on the opposite end of the cable slowly dropped. Bobble rode in the box as well, as it steadily rose into the branches. Until now, Vidia had only taken the winding staircase. She had to admit, the elevator was a nice touch. She watched the receding grass as they went up.

"Until your hummingbird is fully tame, he can stay in here," Bobble was explaining.

Clank hung off the sphere's side, reinforcing a loose twig. "That's right! But I hate making a cage. Who would wanna stay in it, anyways? There's really not much room."

"Aye, lad. 'Tis a shame to have to cage up a bird. But it's necessary, and not for forever. Fawn is a good animal talent. I'm sure she'll have you flying around Pixie Hollow in no time."

Vidia nodded meekly.

"Look, we found lots 'o purple feathers for you! Thought they'd cheer you up." Clank waved a new bunch of feathers to show her.

Vidia finally managed a grin. These two were going to such lengths to help. So were the girls, as they dragged the confused hummingbird into the woven sphere. He drank from the flowers that were already inside, his green body clashing with all the colors. Tink and the others collapsed in exhaustion on the branch.

"Can you really train that thing, Fawn?" Tink breathed.

"I'll try! Give me a few days."

"That reminds me, Miss Vidia," Bobble rushed over to a toolbox and retrieved something. "Here. I fixed up a harness; fully adjustable to fit any bird. Those things are fast; you need to hang on to something! Put it to good use, now."

Vidia took the harness, made of lost things from the beach—golden thread from a spool, and shining jewellery trinkets.

This was really happening, then. She gazed through the woven wall at the fluttering bird. She really was going to spend the rest of her days riding the beasts, instead of using her own power. She would never feel the strength of her own wings…this she realized as the complicated harness was passed from Bobble's hand to hers.

He noticed the tear in her eye.

It was bittersweet.

Learning to ride a hummingbird was something never done before in Pixie Hollow. But for the first little while, Vidia was reminded that it was now her only way to fly.

She and Fawn worked with the handsome bird three times a day. At first, he was stubborn. He refused to let the harness touch him. Through coaxing, persuasion with sweet nectar, and Vidia's overall no-nonsense attitude, he began to listen.

Vidia was becoming quite fond of him. She liked the way he zipped around the sphere and noticed his habit of spinning in circles while holding his body upright. It must be a trick of his which he enjoyed, like the wild aerial stunts she used to perform.

By the third day, he came when called. This had been done by bribing him with honeysuckle flowers; now bribery was no longer needed. She had chosen Ventus as a name. It seemed to suit him.

Fawn used multiple training techniques. Her way with animals certainly made things easier. Ventus was excitable, even five days into the lessons. By now, he would accept the harness over his beak, but did not allow Vidia to climb onto his back. Every time she tried, he dashed forward and threw her off onto the pen's floor.

Day six was a breakthrough. Ventus let Vidia stay seated as he flew around. He was stubborn, but so was she. She wasn't about to give up.

On day eight, Fawn was ready at the door to the woven cage. She stood ready to swing it open all the way. Ventus was perched on a twig with Vidia mounted and ready. Her body was at an angle, with feet positioned just above his wing joints.

She held fast onto the gleaming gold harness. The anticipation had been building up inside.

"OK, this is it," announced Fawn. "What a week! Don't ever ask me to do this again, Vidia. I think one hummingbird is enough for me."

"Not me!" said Vidia. "If this doesn't work, I'm trying again." She took a deep breath, ready for anything. Getting back in the air meant so much to her… "No matter what happens, Fawn, thank you for helping."

Fawn's mouth dropped. She never thought she'd hear an honest 'thank you' from Vidia. This was something to tell the others later.

"Here it goes. Now, don't crash! I'll be flying nearby, just in case. That is, if I don't lose sight of you." She released the cage door.

Ventus took off in glee. Vidia felt his muscles move as they soared high into open air. His wings beat like an insect's as they worked.

Training this unpredictable bird may be worth it, in the end. Vidia smiled in the sunshine and almost let out the laugh she had been holding in. At the same time, a sad little tear rolled out. Relying on someone else wasn't quite the same…

She would have to make the best of it.

Holding onto the reins, she steered her bird into the trees. Time to start practising for real…


	6. Silvermist's Idea

**In this chapter, Vidia is trying to heal the giant holes in her life, but doesn't know how. It's not an easy task for a wingless fairy, once the fastest in all of Pixie Hollow...**

Chapter Six: Silvermist's Idea

For several weeks, Vidia practiced.

All of Pixie Hollow knew of the crazy antics with Ventus. The first and only trained hummingbird certainly was a piece of interest. His emerald green feathers with the red throat were a marvel to behold. The harness he was used to wearing, now. Vidia made sure it was comfortable whenever she put it over his beak. Her steed was unpredictable, so for the first little while she penned him in the woven twig cage. But she tried to keep him happy, filling the sphere with sweet honeysuckle flowers, thimblefuls of fresh water, and (when no other fairies were in earshot) talked to him.

"Don't give me that look!" she said one morning, while fastening the harness.

Ventus twitched in annoyance, not wanting to train today.

"You know well we need to practice those focused winds today. It'll help with pollinating the flowers."

The hummingbird seemed to give a roll of the eyes. He was just as stubborn as his mistress.

Vidia soon became a skilled rider, able to perform impressive stunts similar to the old ones she did before. She could maneuver through tight branches like an insect. Ventus didn't seem to mind doing free-falls in the open glades. They could race along the riverbeds; Vidia conjured enough breezes to liven up the currant and make it more interesting. She liked bursting through the waterfalls; it sent nearby water fairies scattering for cover, for fear of getting their wings wet. Large meadows were crossed in a matter of moments on Ventus. On foot they would've taken hours.

However, there were many drawbacks to this bird-riding. A hyperactive hummingbird was naturally distracted by everything colorful. On flights through the forest, Ventus paused at every other flowerbed. The scents were just too delicious to resist!

Vidia found the habit extremely irritating. "Can't you stamp it out of him?" she complained to Fawn one day.

"Sorry, Vidia. Can't stop him from keeping up his strength."

With his wing muscles pumping by her feet, it was a choppy ride. Often she would get wacked in the face by a buzzing green wingtip. To maneuver through those tight tree branches, he kept on flitting and pausing with such jerks that Vidia felt sure she would be knocked off. To fall off would mean falling to her death…not an appealing thought. She tried to focus on the enjoyable parts of flying like this, but it was not easy.

When passing the Pixie Dust Tree, Vidia often flew wildly into its depths, for the sake of getting drenched in golden dust…just like the old days. Now, it did nothing for her.

Pixie dust had no effect on Ventus, but he was still a superbly fast mount. With him, she was able to keep up with the other fast-flyers for a time. Not many fast-flyers existed; it was, after all, a rare talent. But a hummingbird was not a magical flyer. Ventus couldn't keep up forever and eventually tired and slowed. The other flyers accepted him into the gang nonetheless. While in a group, the purple and violet-clad talents sent gusts of leaves swirling through the forest, made entire cyclones of dandelion seeds in the meadows and even combined their powers to push fog off the beach. Vidia was grateful she was still able to do that. It took more concentration, controlling cyclones of wind. She found her powers were far less strong, but at least were still accurate; maybe even more so. But it was a tiny triumph.

"Nothing_ feels_ right, Ventus…" Vidia talked to her bird while sipping the juice out of a golden peach. The two of them sat on a narrow branch, about eight feet from the grass below.

Ventus had his beak stuck in his own peach. It had been a month since his first training day and was now tame enough not to randomly fly off and leave her trapped up here. His black eyes blinked as he listened.

"Nothing has felt right from the start. I mean, I love being in the air again, but it's just not the same!"

Ventus gave a small nudge, reminding her who was doing all the work.

"Yes, I know." She gently pushed his beak aside. "Thanks for the rides, bird-brain. But…I wish things were back to normal. That hawk attack should never have happened…"

Iridessa led Tinkerbell and Silvermist through the bushes as quietly as she could. The shadows hid their faces. If no one sneezed from the weeds down here, they wouldn't be noticed. "Now, don't make a sound!" Dess warned, moving an obscuring leaf. The three peeked out, looked upward, and saw Vidia with her hummingbird, high up in the young tree, eating peaches. She had a forlorn look about her, and barely registered the fact that an entire peach was stuck on Ventus' beak.

"Oh…" Silvermist sighed upon seeing Vidia's face. "I've never seen her so sad."

"She's been up there for a long time," Dess reported. "It's been happening more and more since the training began. She'll just go someplace high up and—you know—sit there!"

"Maybe flying with a bird is too different," said Tinkerbell.

"But she's back in the air; it's what she wanted! What more could a fast-flyer want?"

"No, something is definitely missing, Dess. Let's figure this out…a bird is perfect for someone like Lord Milori; it suits him. But Vidia…I don't know…"

Sil turned to them. "What could have more speed than a hummingbird?"

Tink scratched her head, wondering how to explain this. "It's not speed that's missing. What Vidia wants is more—freedom. That's all she's been wanting these past few weeks!"

Dess and Sil shared blank looks.

"Think about it," Tink tried again. She hovered an inch off the ground in excitement. "Have either of you really thought about what it's like to fly? I mean really_ felt_ it? I guess there's a…a…weightless, airy feeling. Like a sense of freedom, kind of, that's the best way to describe it. I bet you anything a fast-flyer loves that feeling more than anything. It's their whole identity!"

"Oh dear, oh dear…"Dess grasped the sides of her face. "I think I get it, now. Oh, poor Vidia! What do we do? She's getting more depressed every day. I tried saying 'hello' one day and barely got a word out of her."

"And I heard she didn't even want to go with the other flyers today," Sil pointed out.

"Hmm…there must be something we can do…" Tink pondered, putting her inventive brain to good use. "Maybe a get-together with all of us?"

"Oh, please, Tink," Dess groaned. "How is a _party_ going to bring back the 'feeling of freedom'?"

They plunked themselves on the grass to think.

It was hard coming up with ways to make Vidia happy. Every idea they had involved situations where fairies were very likely to stare at her wingless back; that was the last thing she would want. In the days before the hawk attack, she was never one to smile often; always spiteful, selfish, and a show-off on an average day. To see her so mournful and quiet was becoming strange, disturbing even. No one had seen Vidia cry over the loss of her wings; not even now, as they spied her alone with Ventus, did her grey eyes even water.

Thinking about this, Silvermist perked up. "Water! Listen, I think we could try this…" She pulled the others in closer so they could hear.

Outside the bushes, some ladybugs flickered past, completely unaware of the whispering fairy voices. Had they heard, the whispers would sound animated, but nervous as well.

"Sil, are you sure that's even safe?" Tink wondered.

"Of course it's not safe!" Sil was grinning. "But it could work, right? Let's go ask her. Something this reckless she's bound to love!"

"The things we do to make someone's day…"Dess groaned and flew out after them.

There would have to be a delay. The branch upon which Vidia and her hummingbird had been perched was barren. No other fairies or birds were in sight.

"Must've left. C'mon," said Tinkerbell, ready to take the lead. "Let's head to her plum tree. If I were feeling sad, that's where anyone would go: home."

In the privacy of her bedroom, Vidia examined the scars for the one hundred and fifty-fourth time. She was bare from the waist up, with her back turned toward the mirror—it was a large shard of a mirror, jagged around the edges. It looked as Vidia felt—broken.

The scar tissue was too deep to ever fully disappear. They left ugly reminders of that fateful day. On her face, arms, winding onto her abdomen…the three slashes on her back were still the worst. Cutting over where the wings had once been; not even wing stumps remained. It was as if they had never existed.

She reached behind to touch a shoulder blade. Still, she expected to feel something; maybe the wings were only invisible! But nothing met her fingertips. This horrible self-consciousness was destined to be a rough battle. Without a tear or even a sigh of grief, she dressed again. The mutilated torso was covered up mercifully.

A knock came from the kitchen door.

Vidia frowned as she adjusted her purple shirt. "Ugh. Go away, whoever you are!" Taking a final glimpse in the mirror, she thought about adding sleeves to all her clothes, so as not to see the arm scars. _Nah; too much trouble._

The knock sounded out again. She walked into the feather-decorated kitchen and snapped at the door. "What?!"

"…May we come in, lass?"

Vidia slouched at the voice. Now was not the ideal time for visits from the crazy twosome. Oh well; it was easy getting rid of those two, so she opened the door. The sight meeting her was not what she expected, though. Bobble's face was so anxious that she forgot her anger for the moment.

"Hello, lass." Bobble began, wringing his hands. He was wary of the fast-flyer's fiery temper.

"Yeah, hi!" large Clank greeted cheerfully. "We made up a saddle for your hummingbird! Thought it might make the rides a bit easier. 'Cause, you know, we heard about how hard it is, riding a hummingbird. All that buzzing and flitting around…"

He held out a homemade saddle of a walnut shell and more golden jewellery trinkets. A very lightweight thing—Ventus would hardly notice it once suited up.

"So, how goes the training sessions?" Bobble asked as she inspected the saddle.

"Er…they're well, I guess. He doesn't need to be penned in the cage, anymore."

"Good...May I come in?"

After considering, she nodded. Great, now she couldn't shove them off. Not after they gave her a gift.

"Clanky, wait outside, would you?" He turned to his best friend, who had begun to follow.

"But I thought you said we were gonna visit—"

Bobble lowered his voice. "No, I said we were both delivering the _saddle_, and _I _wanted to talk to her. So, wait here, please?"

"Okay. Hey, how 'bout I test out the saddle instead, to make sure it fits?"

"That'll be fine, Clanky. Here you are; I saw Ventus down by the stream. There's a might bushel of flowerbeds at the banks." Bobble sighed as his friend took the saddle from Vidia and flew off. "Clank—not the brightest, but a fine tinker."

He stepped foot into the dim kitchen. "So, Miss Vidia…how are you coping?"

An icy emptiness spread through her person. Not another one of these 'how are you' questions! Would they never end? "Don't you _dare _ask me that!" she exploded suddenly. "_Everyone _asks me that!"

Bobble drew back in surprise. "I thought I'd—"

"Oh no, no, no, sweetheart. I've _had _it with everyone asking me the same thing! Nothing is going to get better. Ventus may have me back in the air, but nothing has changed! I'm still a pathetic, wingless fairy and who knows if I even _count_ as a fairy anymore!"

"Miss Vidia, please. You've had a rough patch—"

"_Rough patch_?! How about you get ripped apart by a bird and see how it feels! You can't imagine…" Vidia's will was breaking. She fought back tears which threatened to break out. Her scowl was lessening.

Bobble took her hand. "Easy, Vidia. It's not the end of Neverland."

"For me, it is."

"No, it's not, I swear. We're all trying to help."

Vidia had never cried in front of anyone; maybe a single tear, but never a full-fledged cry. This was the first time. She kept wiping her face with her free hand. The tears kept coming and wouldn't stop.

"Shh…it's alright, lass." To her astonishment, Bobble leaned forward and embraced her. "To lose something so precious is unthinkable…No one in Pixie Hollow may ever understand. But I promise you, lass, you _will_ find your strength again."

She embraced him back, burying her face and whimpering like a child. Her tough exterior melted away. Tears were said to relieve emotions and make you feel better, even if the situation hadn't changed. She found it hard to believe.

She let the tears run their course. Having a shred of comfort was nice for a change. The sadness had built up so much…when Fawn had been looking after the fresh wounds, Vidia was careful up keep it in check. To cry was to show weakness, loss of dignity. Feeling a pair of soothing arms around her, she found the courage to let out every ounce of misery.

Bobble stroked her hair and stayed quiet. It was alarming to have such a hard-shelled, independent fairy reduced to this… "Things will work out, Vidia," he consoled after a while. "Just take it day by day."

She dried her face, not able to speak.

The tinker stayed. He did his best to calm her. It took some time for all the tears to dry up. When they did, Vidia's grey eyes were bloodshot. Her throat seemed to have closed up. All this despair was overwhelming! Now she was even more humiliated for showing weakness. She took several deep breaths as Bobble's pained expression focused on her. For a moment, he looked almost as sad as she.

"Don't tell anyone you saw me like this!" she choked.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Miss Vidia."

Neither of them realized the door had been left open. New voices echoed around the tree and drifted into the house. Bobble released her from the embrace and helped tidy her hair so that she looked more composed. She prayed no one would learn of the breakdown. The tinker had better keep his word!

"Vidia?" came Tinkerbell's call. She, Iridessa and Silvermist fluttered onto the shady porch. "Oh, hi Bobble!"

In a hurry, Bobble tried to act casual. "Hello there, lasses! What brings you?"

"I've had a stroke of brilliance!" Silvermist praised herself. "Perhaps we should have given it a shot before. Vidia, what do you think about learning to swim?"

Vidia and Bobble stepped further out onto the porch. "What? I'm not a water talent, Sil. Didn't we go through this before?"

"Yes, but that was it. We have yet to _try_."

Iridessa shuddered. "I still say it's too dangerous! We could all drown or get eaten by a fish! There's a reason why fairies don't swim. Not even water talents."

The others all looked uncomfortable as they glanced at the fast-flyer's empty back. Vidia, however, saw the logic in the idea. She relented in a sad voice. "Well, wings can't drag me down now. Sure, I'll try it. Things can't get any worse, can they?"

The girls cheered, and Bobble leaned in to whisper. "That's the spirit, Vidia. Try to smile now, alright?"

He dashed over to the railing. "Oi! Clank! Quit chasing the hummingbird and get up here. We're going to the river!"

Fairy wings absorbed water. Everyone knew not to get them wet. This meant no flying in the rain and definitely no swimming. There had been a few incidents in the past when water fairies had accidentally drowned because they wanted to be in the water they loved so much.

Vidia didn't need to worry about being dragged under, but what about the drowning part?

"Don't worry about a thing," Silvermist reassured, as if reading these thoughts. "I'll make sure you stay safe. If you get in trouble, I'll manipulate the water and have it lift you out!"

"Thanks, sweetheart, but do water talents even_ know_ how to swim?" Vidia raised an eyebrow.

"Umm…"

The group had chosen a secluded spot along one of the rivers. It was like a lagoon, away from the gentle currant, but perfectly still. Tall grass grew along the banks and overhead was a giant willow tree; it towered above them with long strands of leaves drooping down all around. A few rocks jutted out of the surface. Below were the silvery fish and above them hopped a few happy frogs, eating some unfortunate flies. The willow offered some privacy, since the leaves hung as thick as curtains. No prying eyes could be found here; most of the water talents preferred sunnier spots along the river.

Vidia had said she would try, but now began regretting the words. How _did_ one swim, anyway? Sil certainly didn't know. If a water fairy didn't know, who did?

Everyone else thought along similar lines.

"Let me go ask the fish. They'll give us some answers," Sil landed on a lily pad and called down to them.

"Maybe we could make a lifejacket, somehow," Tinkerbell suggested to Clank and Bobble. "Any ideas, you two?"

"Oh, this is such a bad idea," Iridessa paced in the air. "Such a bad, bad idea…"

Vidia stood rooted to the spot, arms folded and face frowning. "Honestly, what help will a fish bring? They don't even have legs." No one was listening. She rolled her eyes. "A frog would be better—"

…Of course! Why wasn't that thought of? Frogs had legs, and could swim well. Vidia went unnoticed as she hopped onto a lily pad as well. The pair of frogs was close by and she observed their way of propelling themselves through the lagoon.

Staying at the surface and not sinking was a priority. The amphibians did this by paddling their front legs side to side, treading in place. She imitated the motions while sitting here. It seemed simple enough. Maybe if she kicked or paddled her legs in the same fashion she would stay afloat.

Next, she watched them move about. The way their back legs bent and pushed back at the water was more complicated. She improvised a way to do it, experimenting a little; the kicks caused her lily pad to glide about the surface. It was a good sign. In theory, at least. Reality may bring different results.

Vidia jumped back onto solid ground, where Ventus gave her an affectionate nudge in greeting. The new saddle was a nice addition; it had made the trip much more comfortable. Now she could sit more securely on his back.

Silvermist was still talking to fish. Judging from her half of the conversation, it sounded as if the fish were explaining how to swim with fins only. Sil didn't seem to realize she was learning nothing useful. The tinkers were chatting about floatation devices, and Dess had become a nervous wreck.

"Guess I'll do this myself," Vidia kicked off her shoes. "Watch these, will you, Ventus?"

She waded into some shallow water, waist-deep. A good starting point; this would be different from taking a bath.

First she tried floating on her back. Her whole body kept going under, though, making her sputter and come up for air. So she waded closer to a rock, held onto it, and kept trying. This helped to get the knack and feel of it. Both ears went underwater when floating like this. The voices of her friends became muffled and indistinguishable. The general feel of being supported by only water could be described as a weightless one…when Vidia figured out how to float without grasping the rock, she found she was almost enjoying it. The trick was to keep her back straight.

She stood up in the shallows with clothes and ponytail plastered to her body. The muffled underwater sounds had been nice—she held her breath and ducked down, just to hear them again.

"Did you drown?!" Dess saw and zoomed over in a panic. She hovered over Vidia's head.

"Obviously not! This whole swimming thing will take some time…Wish it were faster, but hey, at least floating isn't so hard."

From his cattail perch, Ventus gave a small 'chirp' of encouragement.

"Thank you, Ventus." Vidia turned back to Dess. "Go and drag Silvermist away from those fish. The frogs are the ones to speak to."

"Righto." Dess took off, still looking worried.

Vidia continued ducking and floating around the shallows. This wasn't so bad, really. When she thought about it, this was the complete opposite of flying. The weightlessness in the water felt strange compared to the feeling in the air…but she couldn't help liking it. Ventus chirped at her from time to time. She sent him one of her rare smiles, glad someone was watching her slow progress. Maybe water would fill the missing pieces of her life…it was worth a try.

She gazed over at Bobble, who waved his arms exuberantly at Clank, coming up with more strange inventions, no doubt. She remembered his words of comfort: _Just take it day by day._

**For some reason, I've always thought Vidia/Bobble would be an interesting couple, because they're total opposites! In my crazy mind, they balance each other out. I'm really enjoying going into detail with all the characters. I've got a few more things planned for this sad story; I think it'll be around 9 or 10 chapters long. And, no, it won't have a happy ending; just a bittersweet one. Stay tuned for more.**


	7. Adapting

**Happier chapter! In this one, Vidia spends a bit of time alone and finally realizes that it's not the end of the world. I have read the Tinkerbell books in the past and finally remembered the character of Rani, a water talent who cuts off her wings in 'Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg.' I don't know why I didn't think of her for this story! She would've been perfect in it and since I'm not the greatest writer, I can't think of a good way to bring her in. The story is just too far along. So I decided to at least refer to her breifly in this chapter. FYI: 'Ventus' is the Latin word for 'wind'. Thought it would suit the hummingbird for Vidia.**

Chapter Seven: Adapting

The clouds did nothing to improve Vidia's mood. They partially blocked out the sun, spoiling the peaceful scenery lying before her. She crossed her arms and frowned at the sky. "What will the other fast-flyers do without me? I could blow the clouds away in an instant! It's not that hard…" the thought trailed off as she focused back on the landscape.

Today was supposed to be a day all to her. It had been a while since she had had complete solitude.

Ventus didn't really count as bothersome company; he was often found near his mistress these days, but was good at keeping himself entertained. He was harnessed and saddled, playing among the tall grass happily. Anything bright such as the colorful shells kept him occupied.

Vidia shouldered the empty bag that was with her and marched out fearlessly onto the sand.

This beach was very open. Apart from her and Ventus, not a soul was to be seen. It was low tide and the strong smell of kelp hung like a fog. Sandbanks stretched out for quite a ways. Beyond them was the sea going to meet the horizon. Its waves were tiny and calm today. With the cloud cover, the water glistened a peaceful silvery-grey. The sounds of the waves soothed Vidia's stressed-out person; the last few weeks had been so full of swimming practice that the barren beach was appreciated.

She kept trudging through the sand towards a rocky area.

Since it was low tide, several tide pools had formed. Green algae-covered rocks held them and any small creatures that were now stranded for several hours. These pools were ideal for swimming practice; they were private and some deep enough for diving. No one would get on her nerves. (Except maybe Ventus, who had devised a game where he would steal her shoes and hide them when she wasn't looking.)

Silvermist and the other water talents had been vital in learning how to swim; Vidia had nearly drowned on more than one occasion. As she clambered up onto a slimy seaweed-y rock, she remembered the earliest dive attempt—Sil had had to manipulate the water and lift her out to safety, coughing and sputtering. Day after day this kept happening. Another water talent, Rani, had offered a few lessons which proved very useful. She was another fairy who was also missing a full set of wings. But Rani was a different case when it came to no wings; she had cut them off willingly. She had a natural instinct for swimming, and of course having no wings helped with her talent. Vidia accepted the lessons, and tried to learn quickly. Over the last few weeks, she had developed a new respect for Rani; the cheerful, blonde fairy had adapted well, and had done her best to help the fast-flyer. Now, Vidia was able to stay afloat without help. She had finally figured out how to propel herself forward and backward unassisted, and eventually graduated to underwater swims.

Vidia reached the top of the rocks and balanced on the slippery surface. She laid down the empty knapsack. Nearby was Ventus, zipping around the tufts of grass excitedly. "Watch these for me, will you?" she called to him, taking off her shoes. "And don't hide them again, you overgrown insect. That game has got to stop!"

Ventus gave a chirp which could've meant anything. He darted back into the grass.

Vidia rolled her eyes. "Crazy bird…oh well." She turned and dove into the tide pool.

Saltwater made her eyes sting, but that was a small price to pay for a small feeling of freedom. It was nothing compared to the adrenaline-filled flying she once did. The weightless sensation in the water felt very different than the one in the air. But Vidia was surprised to find she enjoyed it, nonetheless.

She kicked back and forth across the surface. A few sea plants were in the tide pool, along with assorted shells and one lonely fish. Her ponytail streamed out in a purple-black flame as she moved. This was a nice change of pace, being away from other fairies. The water fairies kept begging to come along at every beach trip, but Vidia always found ways to sneak off on her own.

Vidia took a deep breath and flipped forward. Her feet were the last things to go down.

Everything sounded muffled underwater. The plants and seaweed floated about; the lonely fish hid in them as Vidia kicked past. She swam down to the sandy bottom to begin her search. Some of the shells down here were small enough to carry. They would make interesting additions to her feather-strewn home.

Every few minutes she emerged on the rocks with a new finding in hand. The empty bag filled up slowly. On her last dive, Vidia made a nice find of a perfectly shaped white shell that would look impressive on her kitchen table. Or maybe she would give it to Sil or Rani. She stuffed it into the bag with a sense of accomplishment.

Learning to swim had healed a small hole.

She remembered the water talents' words of encouragement, but something was still missing. She glimpsed a far-off group of fairies flying through the trees where Pixie Hollow began. "Oh, right…" she thought, fighting not to touch her shoulder blades.

Vidia squeezed salt water out of her ponytail and hopped around on the rock to dry off. Her usual violet-petal and feather clothes had been swapped for a plainer version; it was far more revealing, exposing her legs and more neck and shoulders, but certainly more comfortable for swimming. She shouldered the now-lumpy bag of seashells and went to get her shoes.

They were missing.

"Oh, please…now is not the time." She scowled up at her hummingbird. He blinked at her mischievously. "Where are they?"

Ventus chirped from his piece of driftwood. The trinkets on his harness glittered despite the cloud-cover.

"Fine. There are plenty more pairs at home." She slid off the slimy rocks and approached the driftwood. "The first time was fun, now it's just annoying!"

The bird hung his head, disappointed that his mistress wasn't up for the game. As she attached the bag onto the back of the saddle, he got a wonderful idea. His head jerked up so quickly that Vidia flinched. "What is it?"

Ventus rocketed away through the grass. His green wings beat so fast they became invisible.

"Hey! Don't leave me stranded!"

The hummingbird reappeared briefly over the bushels of grass invitingly. The chirps and calls he made were playful. He popped up and down, in and out of sight while Vidia stared in exasperation.

"I'm not chasing you, Ventus. I don't need games right now! Just give me a lift home. It'll take days to _walk_ back to the tree!"

The bird flew a little higher and spiraled up in circles.

"Ugh. Get over here!" Vidia leapt from the driftwood. The wild grass cast striped shadows over her as she marched beneath it. Further in, the sandy ground became hard earth and was far easier to walk on. She picked up the pace, searching for any flash of green and red.

A lightning bolt buzzed across the path. It then went out of earshot. As Vidia followed, the same sound came up behind her, and Ventus playfully knocked her to her knees. She turned to scold, but he was gone again.

She caught herself smiling. "Good grief, what is wrong with you?" She ran off after him.

Beyond the wild grass was a fairy-made path leading into Pixie Hollow. The trees were on the tall side here, rising up around an open grassy field. It was into these trees where Ventus kept flying. He went all the way up into the canopy of one, before diving down to weave among the roots of another. He rushed in spirals around a trunk at one point. That was a painful moment—one of the last flying stunts Vidia had done before the hawk attack…no! It wouldn't do to think about that!

The bird disappeared for a time. Randomly, out of nowhere, he knocked Vidia to her knees again. He was begging her to cheer up!

This time, Vidia gave in and chuckled.

The hummingbird flew down across the path with Vidia running in pursuit. He was fast; she pumped her arms to keep up and move faster. The hard earth was not a problem. Even in bare feet, it was manageable. She jumped over any obstructing twigs, ignoring the stubbed toe one gave her. The wind seemed to grow in strength; she ran faster as Ventus egged her on. The crazy bird was too erratic to predict. Every move he made was wild and energetic.

As Vidia ran, she began to realize just how strong her legs had become. Sprinting through the field didn't make them ache at all now. As the chase game went on, her legs didn't even tire. She was off into the grass, for Ventus had veered towards a far-off tree and seemed to be waiting up in its branches.

Vidia screeched to a halt to catch her breath. Her chest heaved up and down, but there was no stitch in her side. There would have been one in the past.

From the branch, Ventus pulled something out of the leaves: something small and violet…

"Hey! Bring those down here!" So that's where her shoes went…he must have flown fast—the tree was quite far from the rocky tide pools.

Vidia broke into a mad sprint. Now to see how far her legs could take her…all was going well so far. With the shade of the grass flickering over her, she kept going. The muscles were working splendidly! Her arms pumped harder, building up more speed. Her breath became rhythmic and steady. Air whistled in each ear and pulled her ponytail back in a waving stream.

Another smile crept up in its own subtle way.

The roots of the tree were reached faster than expected. Vidia slid to stop, conjuring a cloud of dust and dirt. For fun, she created extra wind to raise it high into the sky, but a full cyclone was formed instead. It ballooned into such a size that the Pixie Dust Tree could have been surrounded! It was enormous! Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she felt happier then she had been in a long while.

"Yes! The biggest cloud yet! Take_ that_, fast-flyers with wings!" She punched the air excitedly after the cloud died down.

Now, how to get her shoes?

"Of course you _would_ ignore me. What fun is there in letting me have it easy?" she yelled up at Ventus. He refused to budge from the perch. "Fine, I'll get up there myself."

Feeling the muscles during the run had given her a little boost of confidence. Surely they could help with scaling a tree?

So she began. The bark was knobbly enough to get a good grip. She pulled up along the roots with ease—more challenge was made when it came to the trunk. A vertical climb was very different from the crooked trunk of the sour plum tree…Vidia took a breath and did her best. She had to find the best grips, just in case she got too tired. She always kept three contact points, moving one arm or leg at a time. There was a section in the tree where she was forced to climb at a funny angle; she was actually tilted, with her back facing the ground below. More work was requested of her arms here. When the dangerous section was past, the strength in her limbs could truly be felt. Beads of sweat were forming now; she paused while hanging on for dear life.

"…Almost there…" she panted.

The last leg of the climb was agonizing. Ventus' branch began up and to the right. Not many close-together grips were in this part of the tree. At one point, she used her legs to push off from a tiny ledge of bark to reach a knot. Her body left the trunk completely when she did this. More breezes were up here and threatened to blow her off course. But she made it.

On the branch, Vidia collapsed of exertion. Ventus chirped and buzzed around in congratulations. "Oh, thank you, sweetheart. Now how about you try it?" she wiped some sweat out of her eye and stood. "Give me my shoes!"

From this viewpoint, the beach could be seen, with the sea spread out beyond. She could see just how far she had run through the field. The great distance impressed her; it must've been a hundred meters, at least! And she had only stopped once! _And _faced a tough tree climb at the end.

She stared down at the grass, still breathing hard. Perhaps all this walking was good for something…she felt stronger and tougher then she had ever been.

She slipped her shoes on and balanced further out on the branch: it rose upward to offer a better view. A violent breeze picked up in the sky without warning. Vidia recognized it as the fast-flyers' work. Any clouds blocking the sun promptly blew away to let in some light for Pixie Hollow. Sunshine lit up the beach, the sparkling sea, the field, even her face as she admired the view. In the distance was a flock of birds being herded by a team of animal fairies. Golden pixie dust drifted off everyone's wings, lightly settling on the trees. One stubborn bird in particular was putting up a struggle. The talents were dragged every which way in the air. It wasn't a fun experience for them, but to Vidia, it was laughable.

A good, hearty laugh escaped her. For once, she felt no resentment towards the flying fairies. She thought of Lord Milori and Rani…they were perfectly happy even without the power of flight…

Vidia let out her ponytail and got comfortable, sitting on the edge of the branch. A light breeze rustled her long hair soothingly. She forgot about the scars showing, for her mind was focusing on accomplishments instead. Something had been taken away from her, and now, she _may _have found a few ways to adapt. These new skills needed some polishing. There were a few kinks in her arms from the climb, but the running had been exhilarating!

What was that Bobble had said a few weeks ago? _It's not the end of Neverland…_

Ventus flitted closer to have his head rubbed, glad to see his mistress with a smile instead of a scowl.

"This wasn't such a bad morning, you know." Vidia spoke quietly, lest anyone hear her soft side coming out. "Maybe I can do this…"

**So much for being a sad story. But it's not over yet! Stay tuned. With school going on and life in general, the next part should be up by next week at the latest. **


	8. One Last Reminder

**WRITING FRENZY! I wrote this in one day and I'm super excited! Let's go**! **See you at the bottom!**

Chapter Eight: One Last Reminder

In the days that followed, Vidia cheered up more and more with each sunrise.

She was a big help in the meadows, aiming such precise cyclones of wind that every weed was uprooted while the flowers remained untouched. The other fast-flyers actually applauded. Later, she practiced running and over the course of several days, covered every path and trail in Pixie Hollow. Her speed built up quickly, and long journeys didn't seem quite so long anymore. In the forests, she scaled tall trees, always with Ventus watching her back in case she fell. The record so far was a staggering thirty-foot climb.

All this activity kept Vidia both busy and ecstatic! She was finding new talents to build on all on her own.

Tinkerbell and the others noticed the change. Vidia was still the same stubborn, sarcastic, rude fairy they had always known, but with her new strengths, the loss of her wings didn't seem to bother her anymore. The friends all worried less and less about the touchy subject.

As a surprise one evening, Tink organized a small get-together just like she said she would. It was held on top of a high hill, barren of trees but loaded with plenty of early summer flowers. The Pixie Dust Tree could be seen in the distance from one side, with a sunset of gold, orange and pink on the other.

Iridessa, Rosetta, Silvermist and Clank were all here. Bobble had been commissioned to help build an orchestra stage for the upcoming beginning-of-summer Festival; he hadn't been able to get away. Fawn never showed up, for some reason. The animal fairies had been very overworked in the forest lately, so they all assumed she was too busy to attend. So the party started without them.

When Vidia arrived after a mad dash up the hill, the games began.

Everything was a game that had to be played on the ground: laughable role-playing games, jump rope, and three-legged races and other running games. A few passing fairies joined in and soon the entire hilltop was crowded. Many attempted the running races, but none came close to Vidia's new speed. Her strong legs made her fly across the ground like an arrow.

There were a few times where she let her guard down and let out some laughs.

Tink and the others were glad to see this. It meant life was slowly going back to normal.

Lord Milori stood alone at the border. He stood regally straight, with hands folded behind his back. The evening sunlight shone upon the snowy half of the border, making it gleam. Milori himself was gleaming like an icy statue; his pale skin reflected the light.

All was very quiet. No winter fairies were near here, nor warm ones on the other side of the border. No attendants had accompanied the Lord of Winter, thank goodness. Only his owl mount had come to snooze up in a tree. Anyone else would have spoiled the upcoming meeting.

Milori smiled when she came into view; he loved her so much. Even after all this time, they still kept their ritual of meeting at the border each sunset.

Queen Clarion was like a golden star gliding across the grass. There were a few attendants with her, along with the Ministers of Spring and Summer; they seemed to be badgering on about issues with the beginning-of-summer Festival. The Queen calmly turned to them and said it would be discussed later. They and all the attendants left at her request.

When she was alone, Clarion landed and relaxed her huge golden wings. Instead of flying, she half walked, half ran up the log into Milori's waiting arms. A glowing smile spread on her face and she kissed him in greeting.

"My, you're in a happy mood this evening!" he exclaimed, surprised at the sudden run.

"Aren't I always when I see you? Apart from you, so many wonderful things have happened! I don't' know where to start!"

"It is about the fast-flyer?" Milori guessed. "I know you so well, my dear. You've been so anxious about her ever since that day."

"Yes, that's true. But no more! I finally have happy news to share; it's a breakthrough for Vidia!" The two of them sat down on the log, sitting as close together as possible. They held hands the entire time. "Where do I even begin?"

"Let me help. When did this breakthrough occur?"

"Only a few days ago. Tinkerbell and some of her friends came to me one day, and told me all about it. Apparently, Vidia spent some time alone at the beach…"

Clarion launched into the story. Her usual royal, calm nature changed into an animated one; all the while, she was very content. Her lover listened, chuckling upon hearing the antics of Ventus the hummingbird. He had had a feeling it would be a suitable bird for a fast-flyer.

A happy sigh sounded out from Clarion when she finished. "When Rani cut her own wings, things were very different. The sadness was there, yes, but she recovered from it quickly…to tell the truth, I doubt she ever truly regretted the loss."

"Well, a water talent would benefit, surely. As for me, the owls helped tremendously, and my duties as Lord kept me somewhat distracted…" he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I still thought of you every day." He paused, remembering the meeting he had had with Vidia. "Finding the strength and courage to live on must've been much harder for this one."

"Yes…I knew she would pull through in the end." Clarion relaxed and leaned back comfortably against him. "Thank you for speaking with her. From you, she got the idea of a hummingbird, and from there—well, one thing led to the next."

"You're welcome, my dear."

The two rulers went on talking. This was such a peaceful time of day. The sun created a golden-orange glow over the land. A few fireflies were already appearing and if one gazed in just the right spots, stars could be seen blinking into existence.

Accompanying a lone cricket song was the soft-spoken words of these two fairies at the border. Of course they further discussed a certain fast-flyer's return to life, along with other, less extreme events of lately. They could go on about anything and everything.

They felt so at ease with each other that words came naturally. But even when they didn't, silence was just as blissful.

Late that night, after all the stars had come out, Vidia could be found at home in her kitchen. Through the open window was Ventus out on a branch. He had constructed a nest out there and was snoring away peacefully. The snores sounded more like chirping hiccups. Vidia checked in on her bird once and noticed his sleep-twitches. "Fawn was right; hummingbirds really do flinch in their sleep."

She went back to making dinner. Tonight was a meal of refreshing cucumber soup, a salad with crushed raspberry, and a bread roll swiped from the baking talent fairies. Actually, she had swiped a couple from the kitchens; the stash was in a bowl on the carved countertop. No one would ever notice a few missing bread rolls.

In various places around the house were seashells from the beach. Each one had been retrieved by Vidia herself from the tide pools. The sight of them reminded her of new accomplishments: of swimming, of diving, and how only she and Rani could do this. Her massive collection of feathers was forever growing. No longer did the sight of them fill her with a fear of birds, nor a pang of despair. They would instead remind her that she was _still_ a fast-flyer, even without flight. Her wind powers were more precise now. Ventus could keep up with the other flyers, even if only for a time. Best of all, the feathers reminded Vidia that she was now the fastest fairy on two legs. That was something to be proud of.

She was glad to finally have some privacy at home. The party games this evening had been wonderful, but she still craved her usual solitude.

A knife was brought out and she began crushing the raspberry with the flat side. The cucumber soup was nice and cool, already waiting on the table.

As she poured excess raspberry juice into a glass, a knock came at the door. It was a tentative sound, as if the visitor was nervous about coming.

Vidia groaned. "What?" She had spent enough time with her friends today; couldn't she have some time alone now?

"It's me," came Fawn's voice. "Can I come in?"

"…oh, all right. The door's open."

The door opened just a crack and Fawn slipped inside. She shut it silently and remained standing, without stepping in further.

"We missed you at the party…what's wrong with you?" Vidia puzzled, still crushing the raspberry.

She noticed right away her friend was acting strange, and not at all like her cheerful self. Fawn was biting her lip in a nervous fashion, but her eyes were very, very gloomy. She was even hanging her head. One hand held a little package to her chest, wrapped up in a soft leaf.

"Well? Speak up, Fawn!" Vidia squeezed more juice into the glass. "Social rules demand I ask if you want some dinner, or have you eaten already?"

"No, but…now's not the time. Here, this is yours." Fawn went over to the table and laid down the wrapped package.

Vidia stopped her work and approached. The package was small and flat. It couldn't have weighed very much…her face suddenly went very white and she prayed this wasn't what she thought it was. A sick feeling was beginning to rise in her stomach.

"I…I found it out in the pine forest today. It was wedged in a hollow tree, very deep down, near the tree where you were—you know, attacked." Fawn fiddled with the end of her braid, not knowing what else to do.

Vidia gathered all the courage she could muster. The leaf was unfolded to reveal the scrap of a fairy's wing…

"I don't know if it was right, bringing it back. But it's still yours… I'm so sorry…please don't hate me for returning it!"

"No, it's fine." Vidia breathed. The sick feeling eased up upon taking the scrap in her hands. "It's strange to be holding it…it's definitely mine. I recognize the patterns."

"…You're not angry?"

Vidia shook her head. "It's just what I need." She held the precious wing close to her heart like a lost friend. "…I think I'll always miss the flying. But I never want to forget it. Thank you."

The little scrap must have been stuck in the tree all this time. It would never again be coated in pixie dust, never again would help a fairy to fly. It was only a useless scrap, after all. But to Vidia, once the fastest flyer in Pixie Hollow, it was a true treasure. She laid it tenderly on the table, back onto the soft leaf. She would care for it, always. One last reminder of the past she would never forget.

A sentimental tear dripped out of her eye. She wiped it away quickly before Fawn could see.

The animal talent did notice, but pretended not to. It was normal for stubborn Vidia refusing to weaken. "Bobble saw it, too. On my way here, I bumped into him. No one else knows."

"Good. Last thing I want is a giant fuss made out of this. This is _my_ wing! It's no one else's business."

Fawn nodded in agreement. "He wants to see you tomorrow, though, just to see how you're doing."

"Ugh, fine. I'll head to Tinker's Nook in the morning." Vidia pulled out a chair for her guest. "He'll only keep pestering me if I don't. Would you like some dinner, now?"

"Yeah, I'm starved. Are you sure you're all right? And please be honest!"

The feeling of dread had past. The piece of wing actually brought back more happy memories then bad ones, something she was surprised about. No blood stains were on it, either. That was a bonus. She felt no more jealousy towards other fairies, not even now with winged Fawn sitting at the table.

Many holes had been filling since the day alone at the beach; perhaps this last little scrap of wing had healed another one.

Vidia smiled honestly. "I'm all right. Things couldn't be better. Really…I'll tell Bobble all about this tomorrow."

"I'm sure he'd love to hear it. He was in a sorry state when I confessed I was returning it to you."

"I can imagine. Here, have some cucumber soup." Vidia dished up an extra bowl. "Silvermist showed me how to make it; thought I could use another hobby."

Fawn took the bowl and helped herself to a bread roll. She squinted at the unique criss-cross pattern on top. "Did you steal these from the kitchens?"

"Sweetheart, do you honestly think anyone will miss a few dinner rolls?"

Fawn chortled and dug in. Still the same old Vidia…

As they ate, both fairies cast a few glimpses at the lone little scrap on the table. It was such a bittersweet sight. Really, wings were so easy to take for granted.

**One more part to go, just to wrap this tale up. Vidia's life has gotten back together, but she still needs a big, dramatic scene at the end. Stay tuned for the final chapter...**


	9. New Pride

**This is it. The final chapter which I've been fussing with and have re-written several times until it was perfect!**

Chapter Nine: New Pride

Rosetta's home was so surrounded by gardens and enormous flowers that if one wasn't used to it, the air was difficult to breathe. A newly planted plot held towering pink chrysanthemums that dwarfed the house. Blossoming vines bordered every window and door frame. All the scents were quite overpowering and butterflies were being drawn in from meadows away.

Normally, Vidia gave the place a wide berth; there were just too many flowers for her taste. "Typical for a garden fairy," she mumbled.

"Why are we here again? I forget," said Silvermist. She and Fawn had joined Vidia on the journey here. The two were physically exhausted, not at all used to walking. It seemed the polite thing to do.

"Do I have to explain again?" Vidia snapped. "I have an idea for the beginning-of-summer Festival and I need her help."

"But don't ideas have to be given to the Minister of Summer? She's the one in charge of it, not Rosetta."

Fawn sighed. "Let's just wait until we're inside, Sil."

The fairies kept walking closer to the front door. A bee took a sharp interest in them as they passed the chrysanthemums. Fawn shooed him off after a minute; insects weren't exactly her specialty, but she managed. "Rosetta is in for a shock. It's a rare day when Vidia asks for help."

Vidia scowled in annoyance. "It's not _that _strange!"

"Sure it is," said Sil. "When you asked Fawn for help training Ventus, I just about fainted! Where is he anyway?"

"Hanging out with Iridessa; she's spending the day in the sunflower field and he wanted to go, too."

"And he wouldn't give you a ride to Rosetta's?" Fawn was appalled. "Oh, Vidia, your house is so far from here! That crazy hummingbird…he has a mind of his own sometimes."

"Never mind that. I ran most of the way before running into you two, didn't I? It wasn't long at all."

She reached up to knock on Rosetta's door.

In the moments spent waiting, Sil became puzzled once again. She scratched her head. What was this grand idea, anyway? Vidia hadn't told them yet…or maybe she did and Sil just couldn't remember…

The door swung open. "Good morning! Oh, what a nice surprise, I sure wasn't expecting visitors. C'mon in!" She ushered them into her flower-decorated living room, in an especially cheery mood this morning. "What brings you three to my neck of the Hollow?"

"Enough with the sugar-talk, Ro. I have a favor to ask." Said Vidia, getting right to the point.

Ro looked delighted. "Oh, honey, of course! I've been _dyin' _to so something nice, after all that's happened this season. But you're so stubborn it'd be like arguing with a wall."

"Well, this is different. The Festival is coming up soon—" Here, Fawn and Sil leaned in to hear better. They were both eager to know whatever was going on in her head. "—and want to do something…" she struggled to find the right word. "…daring."

The others were confused.

"Sugar, whatever do you mean?"

"Listen, the majority of Pixie Hollow is still worried about me. A lot of fairies are still treating me as if I just came out of the hospital! With fresh wounds and everything! It's so annoying. Some are even avoiding me altogether."

"Now I get it!" Sil cried out. "You want to prove you're all right! What an idea! I love it!"

Fawn nodded. "So, by 'daring,' what are you thinking, Vidia?"

Vidia crossed her arms determinedly. "Ro, I want you to make me a dress, but here's the twist…"

Festivals welcomed in each season with a joyous flair. They were always such happy occasions, full of music, games, food, and dancing both in the air and on the ground. Activities could go on for hours, well into the night. When it was dark enough, the light fairies always put on a spectacular fireworks display. Since it was the summer's Festival, everyone was anticipating a show full of rich greens and blues, painting all sorts of summery visions in the sky.

Queen Clarion always gave a brief speech towards the end of a Festival to congratulate the fairies' hard work, and encourage them to keep it up all through the season. This year, however, there was a rumor that her speech would come earlier, because Lord Milori had invited her to the Festival being held in the Winter Woods. (Of course she had accepted. Watching the fireworks would be all the more wonderful with him holding her hand.)

This year, the Festival was taking place at the base of the Pixie Dust Tree. There was plenty of room in the giant, grassy space for the big event. Any tables or game areas were spread out in a great circle. Branches from the Tree itself spread overhead, making perches for those who wanted to rest or simply chat and socialize. A newly-constructed orchestra stage was nestled between some roots—acoustically perfect. The music would be heard all throughout the clearing.

Decorations ended up being minimal. The trees were so lush and full that there was no need. Only a few garlands of vines hung around the orchestra stage and on some of the long tables where food would be served. When it was dark, the glow from the Pixie Dust Tree would be a perfect added touch.

It had been an entire season since the hawk attack.

As the sun dipped lower and fairies started filling up the clearing, it was clear that this Festival was different. A somber air could be felt. It was indeed true that most of Pixie Hollow was thinking of Vidia, the fast-flyer without wings. This was the first big event since the attack, the first event where everyone was supposed to be happy. No one was sure if Vidia would even show up.

Some fairies snuck a few bites of food while waiting for Queen Clarion to arrive. Some walked about the clearing, or sat patiently on nearby toadstools. A good number were sitting in the overhead branches, chatting. Hundreds had come to the gathering this evening, yet not one of them was flying. The music played, but only a few were seen dancing on the grass. No air dancers at all…

It was such a sensitive subject when a wingless fast-flyer may be here. No one quite knew how she would react if she was even coming.

But she did come.

"C'mon, honey, hurry up!" Rosetta called, moving closer to the sea of chattering voices. "My, the crowd has sure swelled. This is the perfect opportunity!"

Vidia lingered back in the shadows of the rose bush. She was having second thoughts. "Maybe I wasn't thinking straight…"

"Don't tell me you're turning chicken now." Ro put her hands on her hips.

"Chicken?! I am no _coward,_ Rosetta!"

"Then come on out! All that work and sewing had better be worth it."

Still, Vidia hesitated. She was positive this idea of hers would put Pixie Hollow's mind at ease, but that didn't mean she was completely comfortable. Dresses were practically foreign territory.

Outside the shade of the rose bush was Rosetta, tapping her foot. "Well? Do I have to drag you?"

"Ugh…Fine." Anything was better than being bossed around.

"You stubborn thing; it really_ is_ like arguing with a wall!"

Vidia came out into the light of the setting sun. For the first time since being nursed back to health, she was showing her scars. The dress Ro had made had no back; sewn of comforting violet petals, it tied around the neck and ended in a long feather skirt. Her back, shoulders and arms were bare. With her hair loose and pinned over to one side, every angry scar could be seen. Vidia fought the urge to shrug. Until Ro had made her put this thing on, only Fawn had ever seen the scars. Soon all of the Festival would, too.

She and Rosetta began walking up to the clearing. The garden fairy herself was overly done up in a formal red petal creation; Festivals were not officially formal, but this was just like her. "Relax, sugar. You look wonderful. I declare, I've never seen you so nervous!"

Vidia tried to come up with a comment, but failed. Her head hung, partly from nerves, and to keep from tripping over the long feathers. The dim sunlight somehow emphasized the huge scars. Never had she been so self-conscious. Not even when she walked away from the hospital!

"Vidia!" greeted Tinkerbell. She was waiting up ahead with Iridessa, Fawn and Silvermist. They all came scurrying over, saying inspiring words.

"This is such a brave thing to do," Fawn reassured the fast-flyer.

"It's only to get them all off my back and stop pitying. Nothing more."

"_And_ to prove you're as strong as ever. Don't forget that."

Vidia forgot to be spiteful and was instead a bundle of worries as she walked into the mob of fairies. This was hard. It was like revealing a deep dark secret, showing all the scars. She felt a need to cover the one on her face, but resisted.

With her friends near, the crowd was bearable, at least. In the branches, she spied a happy Clank waving enthusiastically and Bobble wearing an anxious expression. Ignoring them, she walked on, hearing a few voices die as they looked at her exposed back. Having all these eyes turned on her was a strange feeling. They bored into her like hot tongs.

What was the crowd thinking? More and more fairies noticed the scars the further she walked into the Festival grounds. Terrence and a few other dust talents stopped talking altogether at the sight. She past the other fast-flyers, who all had the most pitiful looks on their faces…many other voices only whispered.

Vidia came to a halt. "Maybe this was a stupid idea. Everybody is staring."

"Just relax," Sil said beside her. "You're only noticing the bad stares. Look over there," she pointed to some other water talents, who smiled in admiration. "They told me today they were hoping you'd come to the Festival. You've really impressed them with all the swimming."

"Thanks, I guess." She wished the night would get a move on and be over with. She even saw the fairies perched high up in the branches watching her. Now she _knew_ this had been a stupid idea.

_All I wanted to do was prove I'm no weakling! _She crossed her arms out of habit and scowled.

The whispers died instantly when soft golden movements came from up in the Pixie Dust Tree. The glow belonged to Queen Clarion and her radiant golden wings. She floated into view amongst waterfalls of pixie dust. A warm smile spread on her face as she admired the large crowd. It was a splendid turnout for this year's summer Festival. No attendants came with her as she glided down to the base of the Tree.

Cheers and applause broke out at the sight of the Queen. Many who were perched in the branches dropped down and hovered to have a better view as Clarion landed gracefully. She was on a raised ledge in the Tree, above the orchestra stage and facing the entire clearing. Every face was turned up excitedly; they were ready for the traditional speech.

Vidia applauded out of forced politeness, but did not cheer or even try to appear glad. Her heart was still thumping so loudly it was a wonder it couldn't be heard. _It'll calm down soon. It's only the nerves_ _acting up. Thank goodness all attention isn't on me._

"Settle down, settle down," Queen Clarion laughed. She raised her hands for quite. "Thank you all for coming to this year's summer Festival. The preparations have been well-kept on schedule and will help make this summer a memorable one! You have all worked so hard and I congratulate you and appreciate all you have done."

More cheers spread through the audience. Anyone hovering did a loop-de-loop for joy.

'As you know, summers are often spent on the Mainland. The troops will be meeting on the northernmost beach to start the journey. Anyone who still wishes to go must make haste, for the troops will be taking off at noon tomorrow. Summers on the Mainland are true adventures and I encourage it tremendously. Of course, if this year is not calling you, please stay. Pixie Hollow is always and forever a wonderful summer home, as well."

Excited chatter was heard from those who were travelling this year. Vidia had decided to stay in Neverland for obvious reasons. It would mean more time to practice flying maneuvers with Ventus, or training to build up her speed in running. She noticed the familiar green and red feathers of her hummingbird peeking out from the bushes. He must have followed Iridessa all the way here. She had a feeling the sunflower field would keep him distracted all day. With the Queen's speech well underway, now was a good time to sneak off.

She made eye contact with Ventus. He could tell she wanted to go and used his beak to beckon her. It would be tricky getting to him; the crowd was so thick! Vidia decided to risk it.

Just as she took a step, Queen Clarion's speech took a new turn which made her freeze.

"…and this spring had certainly been an eventful one. Some may even call it a rough, rigid spring, full of emotion and hardships. I am not only speaking of daily tasks to keep up the season, but also of individual trials."

Here, the audience became very solemn.

Vidia, beautifully clad in her backless dress, covered in scars, looked straight up at the Queen.

"You all know of the frightful hawk attack some months ago. This was the very first time a fairy has ever survived—both triumph and devastation have come from the accident…a fast-flyer without wings could not be a more tragic result. Over these months, she has shown such grace, such courage and such dignity that I cannot think of any way to praise her enough. Through sheer determination, she has grown in strength and learned how to live once again. The will to live runs unbroken within her; all those close to her have kept on encouraging without stop. She has faced so many challenges and hardships that many would find hard to even comprehend! But she has tackled them and triumphed."

Vidia stared at these words, mystified. She was vaguely aware of surrounding fairies watching her in admiration.

"Losing a set of wings is no easy loss…Vidia," Clarion found the fast-flyer in the crowd and addressed her. "You have faced so much…I truly believe you have earned those battle scars. They are something to be proud of. It takes such will to overcome the obstacles you have faced. I, for one, admire your bravery and applaud you."

The Queen of Pixie Hollow began to clap.

Soon others joined in, even Tinkerbell and the others. Some in the crowd whooped out cheers of delight.

All were cheering for her, without a scrap of pity.

Vidia felt a feathery nudge and discovered Ventus had darted in behind her. She rubbed his head and listened to the hundreds of clapping hands. It was so overwhelming…

The surrounding group of friends came in a bit closer. All had at least one happy tear in their eye.

_Oh please, hold it together, everyone._ Vidia thought privately. She felt an unexpected hand on her shoulder. Clank and Bobble had come down from the branches to join them.

The bespectacled inventor was smiling shyly at her, relived that she had not fled the grounds. "I told you things would work out, lass."

Vidia heard the applause grow and she beamed. She straightened her scarred back and held her head up with pride. It seemed the holes in her life had finally healed over.

The wingless fast-flyer didn't feel ripped apart in the least.

**There you have it; my first fanfic come to a close. This was such a fun project, and the reviews have really build up my confidence in writing. No one seems to like my Bobble/Vidia idea, but I only kept little hints of the pairing throughout; nothing major! That should keep everybody happy. This story was supposed to be all about Vidia and her return to her old self after loosing her wings. I hope it was dramatic enough and that you all enjoyed it! I sure did, and had lost of fun writing it. I'll be writing more stories in the future, so keep your eyes peeled! Purple Duskywing, signing out...:D**


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